Effervescent Dreams

Freedom of Speech? Yeah, right!

2012-01-30T14:16:00.004-05:00

I was trying not to let this get me riled up, but I couldn't take it anymore.

I was perusing a distasteful blog the other day, abortiongang.org, to get some sense of what the "other side" of the abortion issue thinks (i.e., the pro-abortionists), when I spotted a post that left a more-sour-than-usual taste in my mouth. It is titled Hey A--holes: Stop Using the Holocaust as a Metaphor for Abortion. My first thought was: "Thanks, Abortion Gang, you just did what you accuse us emotional, Christian pro-lifers of doing". (Now they'll really convince me of the truth of their stance, right? Just after calling me an a--hole?) Then I started reading the actual thing.

Boy, is it insipid. And ludicrous.

I got so fed up with the cockeyed arguments that I decided to post a rather lengthy comment, attempting to refute all the assertions and claims the author made in her post. (May I add that, from what I can see of who makes up the "Abortion Gang", they're all women. It's so opposite of being sexist that it's sexist.)

When I posted the comment, and saw that it was awaiting moderation, I was suspicious that my comment would be deleted. Forgive me for being obviously biased, but that's what I thought. But then I told myself, "No, of course they won't delete my comment. They'll enjoy arguing a pro-lifer's stance. After all, it's not like I was cynical or illogical in my comment." So I waited for my comment to appear, checking back rather routinely because I was eager to see if they had answered my argument.

Would you believe it, my comment got deleted.

I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt; I really did. But I guess they didn't want any opposing arguments on their website in case some doubting Thomas (or Thomasina) who was questioning the morality of abortion would happen upon it and be converted. After all, why should life be hard to figure out? Why should we question things?

Again giving the Gang the benefit of the doubt (although I was quite skeptical), I assumed that something had gone wrong with the computer or the Internet and again posted the comment.

Needless to say, my comment was once more deleted.

It takes two to tango. I don't know if this post will in any way reach the Gang, but I want to show anybody who reads this the absurdity of the Gang's post, and also my reply, since I was prevented from publishing my thoughts elsewhere.

Obviously the Abortion Gang don't believe in free speech. That should be a no-brainer, I suppose, since they quite blatantly disregard the right to life.

It's as if a candidate in a Presidential debate duct-taped the mouth of the other candidate in order to make himself look smart. It's unethical, unconstitutional, and unsuccessful.

This is directly from abortiongang.org. All boldings are my addition, for the sake of pointing out the ridiculous.

"Abortion is not like the Jews and the Nazis, and it’s not like genocide, and it’s not like slavery. Abortion is not like any of those things. This should be obvious to anyone with half a brain, but apparently, it’s not. Here are some very basic, seemingly obvious reasons why abortion is not like the Holocaust, genocide, or slavery:

1) Whether you think the fetus is a person with a soul or a collection of tissues, the vast majority of abortions occur at a time when the fetus could not survive outside the womb. In the case of the holocaust and genocide, those being killed were human beings surviving without physical dependence on another person’s body.

2) Those killed in the Holocaust, and in various world-wide genocides, were fully developed human beings with histories, families, and relationships. Abortion does not end relationships in this way, it prevents them from occurring.

3) Slavery! Abortion is not like slavery. Slavery is the ownership and exploitation of a person’s life. Abortion is preventing a life that does not yet exist from becoming one that does."

And here is my reply:

You are right, in one sense, by saying that the Holocaust is overused as a comparison to abortion. Kind of like how people use Hitler as a comparison to pretty much any criminal nowadays. But allow me to answer your three objections, point by point:
1) "Whether you think the fetus is a person with a soul or a collection of tissues, the vast majority of abortions occur at a time when the fetus could not survive outside the womb." By making this statement, you are basically saying that, 1: whether or not the fetus is a real, human being makes no difference; and 2: the fetus couldn't possibly survive on its own and thus taking its life is not such a big deal. So suppose the fetus is a real, human being? When you accept this as a possible scientific fact (which I believe it logically is, but that's an argument for another time), does it not make you pause, even for one moment, to consider that 50 million human beings have been killed since the legalization of abortion? And supposing that the fetus is a human being, does the question of whether or not it can survive on its own bear any weight here? A newborn baby or a 2 year old toddler cannot survive on his own, so by your reasoning, if an infant gets to be too much trouble for a mother, she is justified in killing that infant because she cannot handle a child at the moment. Of course, if you believe that a fetus is merely a bunch of cells (which you apparently do), then this argument will not bear much weight. But supposing that the fetus is not a human being; what is it then? By the time a fetus is 7 weeks old (around the time most abortions are performed, I believe), it already has a heartbeat. Does this not qualify it as a living creature, if not a human being?
2) "Those killed in the Holocaust, and in various world-wide genocides, were fully developed human beings with histories, families, and relationships. Abortion does not end relationships in this way, it prevents them from occurring." I find this argument to be the most inconsequential of them all. The words "fully developed human beings" imply that you regard unborn fetuses as "under-developed human beings", which they are, scientifically. Would you then consider "under-developed" and "not fully-developed" (or “inferiorly developed”) to be the same thing? If so, your argument justifies the killing of developmentally disabled people, because their brains and nervous systems aren't as "fully-developed" as the average person; at least, they are developed to a different degree, or to a different level. Many people would no doubt label mentally handicapped people as "inferiorly developed", because they can’t do everything the average person can do, and because they often cannot take care of themselves properly. Many people would say "Why not put disabled people out of their misery? After all, they have a low quality of life. That's unfair." I consider this one of the most inhumane statements I have heard people say. Handicapped people do not have an inferior quality of life, but a different quality of life. Although they seem “stupid” on the outside, oftentimes they are incredibly smart, many times smarter than the average person. They bring many unlooked-for joys and happy surprises to their families, their friends, and their caretakers. Anybody who has spent time with mentally handicapped people would agree with me.
3) "Abortion is not like slavery. Slavery is the ownership and exploitation of a person’s life. Abortion is preventing a life that does not yet exist from becoming one that does." With regards to slavery, abortion is more like slavery than you would suppose. An unborn fetus is, biologically and scientifically (and some would say spiritually) a human being. At the very least, a fetus is a potential human being. (And at what point, anyway, can we say that human life begins? Logically, it must begin at conception. Any other time during the pregnancy just has no scientific evidence to back its validity.) So if a fetus is a human being (or a potential human being with potential rights), why are the rights of that human being disregarded? The mother has the right to choose whether to keep her baby or not, and I do realize that it is always, always a hard choice. But never does a human being have the right to kill another innocent human being. A child is not the property of the mother – a child is the RESPONSIBILITY of the mother. There is a huge difference. Sort of like the difference between a slave and a hired servant.
With regards to “preventing a life that does not yet exist” – whenever a pro-lifer tries to refute a statement like this, inevitably a pro-abortionist will bring up Hitler or Osama bin Laden as an example of a life that, through abortion or some such killing, could have been prevented from causing so much pain and suffering. All I can say in response is: we don't know, and never can know, who a human being will become. If Hitler hadn't done it, maybe someone even worse would have taken over a susceptible, war-ridden Germany and gone even farther than he had with evils committed. If Osama bin Laden hadn't existed, perhaps some other terrorist would have organized an attack against the United States; perhaps it would have been a more horrible, more tragic attack. We just don't know. On the other hand, if all the children who were born in bad or hard circumstances had been aborted, we wouldn't have Muhammad, Beethoven, Buck Brannaman, Helen Keller, or John Lennon, to name a few. Who knows how many other potentially great or influential men and women have been legally aborted since 1973.
By the way, I object very strongly to being called an a--hole.

--

I am so convinced of the truth and logical arguments of these pro-abortionists' stance. Aren't you?

Forgive me if I come across as being oober-cynical, but I am understandably peeved.

-Clare

What if?

2012-01-13T12:55:00.010-05:00

"Child," said Aslan, "did I not explain to you once before that no one is ever told what would have happened?" - C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you were not who you are?

In other words, what would life be like if you were not raised the way your parents raised you, if your faith was not what it is now, if the schooling you had was different from what you have had?

For me, it would be quite a change. One of my best friends and I were thinking about this the other day. What would life be like for us if we were not homeschooled, not Christian, and devoid of the morals we have from our upbringing?

If I were public-schooled, an atheist, and a "free-thinking" rebel, or just totally different from what I am now, I decided that I would be...a hippie. I would be really into New Age thinking (for instance, yoga would be my "meditation" instead of prayer), I would be anorexic, wear bellbottoms, have really long hair, and be all for "peace". All that jazz. Oh, and I would write steampunk novels. Probably would write a lot of romance too.

I say this because I think I have a little bit of the hippie, the steampunk, and the New Age in me. Actually, I think I have a little bit of everything in my personality. I'm a psychological mutt. I'm actually not a big fan of steampunk as a genre, but I find elements of steampunk intriguing and simpatico with elements of my personality. And one of my favorite Japanese anime movies by famed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is steampunk, Howl's Moving Castle. I also don't enjoy the political/moral mindset of hippies, but I think they can have cool styles. And as for New Age...I only say that I have a bit of New Age in me because I enjoy yoga as an exercise, and I listen to Enya. (Enya is technically considered New Age.)

To present evidence that my personality is all over the place and unable to be categorized, here are some photos of myself and my room:

This is a prime example right here. These are the books I am reading/am going to read. From L to R: a book about music therapy, a Star Wars book, "The Once and Future King", a book about God, and a book on writing by E.B. White.

Another classic example. Here we have juxtaposed a "Hellboy" poster and a poster of a cute little foal.

Two of my three bookshelves. I don't know if you can really see what's there, but among the medley are Beowulf, Plato, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Oscar Wilde, The Complete Sherlock Holmes, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Red Flag: A History of Communism, and numerous collections of fairy tales.

I will let this picture explain itself.

Yes, this is a sword. So I have a Japanese katana by my bed. What? Don't you?

These last two are me with two things I love but which, I think, don't normally go together. I actually have more than one pipe (I have three, to be exact), and their names are Archimedes, Oscar, and Clive. This is Clive...

...and this is J.S. BB-gun. Named after J.S. Bach.

That's me and my personality in a prolix nutshell! If you were to examine who you are now, who do you think you would be?

What if?

Pax,
Clare

We have arrived; will we survive?

2012-01-04T10:46:00.004-05:00

The year was 2012. The first day of the new year was bundled in by flurries of urgent snow, and hovering dark clouds sympathized with the grim and despondent hearts of the people. The joy of a new beginning was shadowed by the threat of an ancient prophecy....

Sounds like the beginning of a book people might take seriously, doesn't it? With all the dire predictions revolving around the ominous year 2012, it's amazing people haven't started to panic. I suppose most people don't take the Mayan calendar that seriously. I don't myself, but I can't help wondering if something big will happen in 2012, even if it's not the end of the world. I don't believe that the Mayans truly knew when the end of the world would be, for only God the Father knows -- as Jesus Christ said Himself. But the Mayans were great scientists and could predict, through knowledge and research, many other things, so perhaps there will be some big event that happens this year. Perhaps it will be something readily observable, like a large earthquake, or something not as visible to the common person, like the death of a few stars. Who knows? But I believe in my heart that no one knows -- nor can know -- the hour of the End, and therefore we must constantly be ready.

My New Year's resolution is to keep on living as I have before, only better. I want to love more, laugh more, sing more, dance more, read more, write more, be more silent and caring, and ultimately grow closer to God. That is my goal. I don't care when the End comes; I just want to be ready to meet my Maker.

Here is a silly poem I wrote awhile ago:

"Dabbling in Drowsy"

So does genius run its course,
And when the mind has cried "Enough!"
I can't but muse that all this stuff
Is merely just a bit of fluff.

But give me room to plead my case,
To sleep upon my puzzled face --
And when the moon has lost its race
I'll bet upon another horse.

Whistling doesn't clear my brains,
It rather blends them all as sand --
Label me a one-man band,
With blarney scribbled o'er my hand.

Should I weep for what is not?
Like apples shared or gone to rot,
I'd rather stay in the frying pot --
When it pours, it never rains.

--
When I graduate from high school this year, I'm going to make a shirt that says "Class of 2012 -- We survived!"

Unless the End comes before then. Only God knows.

"The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last." -St. Philip Neri

Happy New Year!

Pax,
Clare

Merry Christmas from Peter Jackson and me

2011-12-24T09:32:00.007-05:00

It's coming, it's really coming!!!

I recommend watching in 720p HD and in full screen for the best effect.

Just in time for Christmas.....

---

May the newborn Christ Child bless you and fill your hearts with His peace, His joy, His light, and His innocence.
Enjoy this Christmas as a child.

Pax Christi,
Clare

Dear Chico...

2011-11-09T22:21:00.006-05:00

This is Chico.

We've had Chico for almost 11 years; my brother and I got him for our birthdays (He was turning 9 on November 29 and I was turning 7 on December 2 so we got Chico on December 5, I think it was). I almost can't remember a time when we didn't have Chico.

Chico died yesterday. He was almost 12 years old. I miss him so much...

Dear Chico,

It's hard to imagine that you're gone. You have always been such a solid part of my childhood -- a fixed and stable family member that always was there to listen even when you didn't understand. But your death is just another event to remind me that even friends don't last forever.

I will always remember every little part of your lovable personality: the way you chased Scruffy (our Maltese) up and down the dining room, the way you hung your head as if you were always afraid of being guilty, the way you wrestled with Seamus (our terrier), the way you hated to wear red ribbons at Christmastime but never complained, the way you rarely complained about anything, even in your last terrible days when you were so sick, the way you sat on Scruffy's tail and made him scream, the way my brother and I had to get our two friends to help us hang on to you when we were little and you wanted to chase after a dog, the way your tail waved like a flag when you were wandering in the backyard, the way your soulful brown eyes sparkled, the way you begged and shook hands and played dead on command, the way you loved carrots, the way you howled when someone prompted you by howling, the way you hated anyone to touch your stomach because you were so fat, the way you made beds out of random pieces of cloth lying on the floor...

Life will never be the same without you. I will always miss you because you were my puppy.

I love you, buddy.

-Clare

Save the Whales?

2011-10-26T09:22:00.010-04:00

I tend to stay away from current events in my blog, because they generally annoy or depress me so much. I also like to spare any readers of my blog similar discomfort. But this story, which I read in today's paper, just couldn't go by without a sarcastic comment from me.

"PETA accuses SeaWorld of enslaving orcas"
(follow this link if you'd like to read the whole story)

Here's the scoop: Some folks from PETA, concerned over the health conditions of some orcas at SeaWorld, got together and began forming a lawsuit against SeaWorld. They worked on this suit for 18 months. Why it took them that long, I don't know. Did it take folks that long to come up with the simple bumper sticker slogan "Save the whales?" At any rate, it took them 18 months -- probably because they were scrabbling for any scrap of legal law/document (like the 13th amendment) that could somehow be applied to whales instead of humans. But more on this later. For right now, suffice it to say that SeaWorld replied that PETA's suit was "baseless" -- an understandable remark, as any average pet owner with a little bit of common sense knows. (Although there seems to be a considerable lack thereof, so maybe we should call it "unusual sense"?)

As if this wasn't bad enough, read this statement from Jeff Kerr, PETA's general counsel:

"By any definition, these orcas are slaves — kidnapped from their homes, kept confined, denied everything that's natural to them and forced to perform tricks for SeaWorld's profit."

Kerr's beginning statement, By any definition, fascinates me. Interesting choice of words, wouldn't you say? I was compelled to look up the actual definition of the word "slave", as it's not a word that I've ever had to look up before. Until now, every English-speaking person seemed to agree unconsciously on the exact meaning of "slave". So here's what I found:

1. a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant.
2. a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person

"Person" seems to be the key word here. According to Kerr, an orca is a person. And if an orca is a person, then any animal is a person.

Quick, let's rally to the cause of the poor little house flies! These helpless persons are being trapped and enslaved in the webs of the nasty, mean old spiders!! But wait a minute -- these spiders have rights too! They're persons, after all! Stop stepping on all the spiders, you evil human beings, because they're people just as much as you are!

Enough of that. Moving on, let's look at PETA's claim regarding the 13th amendment. According to tbo.com:

"People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is accusing the SeaWorld parks of keeping five star-performer whales in conditions that violate the 13th Amendment ban on slavery. The suit...hinges on the fact that the 13th Amendment, while prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude, does not specify that only humans can be victims."

This also intrigued me, so I decided to look up the 13th Amendment as well and see how PETA could get evidence for their claim from this integral part of our constitution. They are right on one point, that the Amendment indeed does not specify that only humans can be victims. (I'm sure Abraham Lincoln did not feel that such detail was necessary.) It does, however, say that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude" shall continue in the United States. Involuntary, hmm. Do whales really have the will to make voluntary choices?

In case you're wondering, here is the meaning of the word "voluntary":

1. done, made, brought about, undertaken, etc., of one's own accord or by free choice
2. of, pertaining to, or acting in accord with the will

"Free choice", "in accord with the will" -- these seem to imply that slavery is only slavery when the person (or maybe PETA would say the creature) involved would choose to do otherwise than what he is currently doing but is forcefully prevented from doing so.

Sure, the whales would immediately swim for the open ocean if they were given the opportunity. But is this not merely the act of instinct? Could you really imagine the whale keeper standing in front of the whales with a bucket of fish and saying to them in a reasonable tone, "Now you can choose between freedom and food; which would you like to have?"

The point is, WHALES DO NOT HAVE FREE WILL, because they do not have sophisticated intellects like humans do. They do not have reason. They can't look at the whale keeper's bucket of fish and say, "Oh, that looks really tasty, and the open ocean is too dangerous, so I think I'll stay here." (On a more spiritual level, they also do not have immortal souls, but that's beside the point.)

Perhaps I am getting too wound up about this. But it's hard to see something like this going on, and know that millions of unborn babies have been murdered because they do not have rights. It's also hard to see fellow Americans disrespect the dignity and sacredness of our Constitution by lowering it to the level of mindless beasts.

This is not to say that I don't love whales. I think they are beautiful creatures, but please don't ask me to treat them like human beings. This is just taking "Save the whales" a step too far. Instead of "Save the whales" it should be "Save my sanity" -- please!

Lady Clare

The True Woman

2011-10-03T22:27:00.002-04:00

Currently reading: "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo
Most recently watched movie: "Clue"
Current favorite quote: "Being a tiger just isn't all it's cracked up to be." -Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

--

Just a few words I wrote down one time while in prayer...

The True Woman

Let me be as the woman at the well, and allow You to read my heart.

Let me be as the adulteress, and accept from You a pure heart.

Let me be as Magdalen, and give my all to wash Your feet.

Let me be as Martha, and serve You with my life.

Let me be as Mary, and make my heart Your listening spouse of silence.

Let me be as Elizabeth, and recognize Your hiddenness in others.

Let me, O Jesus, be as Queen, accepting Your Church with the love of a mother, waiting at the foot of the Cross, loving You even when my soul is lost in dark night, because these are the moments when You are closest to me.

--
Pax,
Lady Clare

Some (almost) Philosophical Thoughts

2011-08-27T16:59:00.006-04:00

(I realized that my current book, movie, and quote are pretty much the same as my last post, so I'm not even going to bother re-posting those. :P)

--

Have you ever considered the notion that you don't know yourself very well?

It's an interesting thought. Your initial reaction might be that you know yourself better than any other person in the world. It must be so, you may declare, because you are the only person who knows your innermost thoughts and feelings and you are the only one who knows what you are going to do next. Most of the time, at least. You will perhaps acknowledge that God knows all these things as well (better than you do, in fact) but speaking in terms of mortals, you're pretty much the best source of information on yourself.

I contend that this is not true, strictly speaking. In fact, in my own personal experience, I've discovered that my family and close friends often know me better than I know myself.

But more on that later. For now, let's consider the question of knowing yourself. I believe that it is a life-long process. There are few -- if any -- natural wonders of the world more spectacular than the human being, and humans have spent all their time since the beginning of their existence in delving deeper into themselves, whether they know it or not.

Let me get one thing straight here. I'm not talking about Buddhism or Hinduism or yoga or some other Eastern-type religion or practice that might make you fidget in your seat with all its talk of being one with yourself and the earth. I'm not asking you to go outside and lie down with the flowers and close your eyes and try to bring out your inner spirit, and in the meanwhile attempt to ignore all the creepy-crawly bugs that decide to use you for a playground. (Let me add, however, that I myself enjoy yoga and see nothing wrong with meditation -- just so long as you are meditating on truth and the one true God. I also have absolutely nothing against Eastern religions [in fact, I am somewhat fascinated by them, and I appreciate many of their qualities], so please don't label me as a racist. I just know that there are many people in the world who are prejudiced against another group of people, and that group of people are prejudiced against another group of people, and I wish we would all learn to accept and listen to each other, because even the most seemingly-misled people have some truth to offer.)

So. Where was I? Oh yes, I was talking about humans diving deeper into themselves in order to find out more about themselves. Well, this is nothing new or foreign. The ancient Greeks, the basis of our modern civilization and culture, had a common maxim among them. You may have heard it before:

Know thyself.

Many of the famous Greek philosophers used this admonition as the inspiration for some of their dialogues. Socrates, in particular, comes to mind (but that's just because he's pretty much the only Greek philosopher I know very well, and whose work I've read). So what meaning does this have for us today?

It may be a tempting thought to believe that we 21st century folk are a completely defiled culture, devoid of any logic and reason and art. It may be tempting to think that our generation could care less about morality or philosophy or truth. I used to think this way myself. While it may be true that we are a lamentably degraded culture, it is good to remember that there are still many people who wish for a higher lifestyle, and who strive for a more enlightened mind -- like you and me. (Thank God for my upbringing that made me who I am now!) It is also somewhat comforting to remember that sin has been in the world since almost the very beginning, and there has never been a culture as pure and undefiled as we would like it to be. (Take the Middle Ages, for example. They were in pretty bad shape, and the people of that time were rather corrupt. I think that's why they needed chivalry and the knighthood and all those noble morals and guidelines, because they needed to balance out the evil. I don't really know, but that's my impression.) But most importantly, we should remember that the search for truth is timeless and universal and we will never know enough about the world and ourselves to be satisfied. Humans are very curious creatures. Have you ever noticed that we ask a lot of questions?

This is a very long post, so I think I will make this a part one and write a part two later. But for now, in regards to the meaning of Know thyself...I think part of the "knowing" lies in the "being".

Pax,

Lady Clare

Back again

2011-08-20T13:45:00.005-04:00

Currently reading: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Most recently watched movie: North and South
Current favorite quote: "No one is so advanced in prayer that he does not often have to return to the beginning." -St. Teresa of Avila

--

Well, I'm back. It's deplorable how unfaithful I've been to blogging. How long has it been since my last post? I don't even know. So many things have happened, I don't know where or how to begin. I suppose this will be one of those random, incoherent posts... :P

First of all, and perhaps most importantly...I'm an aunt!!! My brother and his wife just had their first baby, and the first grandchild in our family. Here she is:

Isn't she adorable?? Just as cute as a button. *cue awwwww sound*

What else? School is starting up soon. It's hard to believe how quickly the summer went by -- I don't think I really got anything done that I wanted to get done this summer. I just didn't have time because of work. Yes, I now have a job! I work at the store of this shrine near us, so mostly I work in customer service -- you know, answering phone calls, directing people to the right transfer, giving them information, taking orders. I also work in the gift shop. It's been a really great experience, and I love working a job where I get to help people out. I never realized just how much I would like it. You'd think that it would inspire me to be more helpful around the house, but it seems that strangers are easier to help out than your family. Do you ever feel the same way? It's funny how the people you're closest to are oftentimes the hardest ones to get along with....

School. Yes. I'll be a senior this year, so I have to start thinking about applying to colleges. Actually, there's really only one college I want to apply to. I fell in love with it ever since I first heard about it and I've been wanting to go there ever since. Here's the website: wyoming catholicollege.com
So for my senior year, I will still be homeschooled (of course!), and I will again be taking some classes at the community college near us. I don't know all the classes I'm taking yet, but here's what I know so far:
(College) Drawing I
Intro to Psychology
(Homeschool) Church History
Algebra II
Latin
American Literature (possibly only in the spring semester)

I'm also supposed to be taking the SAT for the second time in October. Hope that goes well (yikes!). The first time I took the SAT, I got a pretty decent score, but I thought I may as well try and up my math scores (where I scored the lowest). So I'll be doing some Algebra I review before the SAT, and really getting into Algebra II after the SAT.

This is probably all rather boring, but I'm not sure what else to write about! Until I get into my blogging groove, my posts will be mostly random updates like this. Oh, I got a laptop! That's what I'm using right now. I need one for college next year, but my parents got me a laptop now so I could use it for the psychology class I'm taking this year at the community college (it's an online class).

So anyway, that's my life. Not in a nutshell. Just kind of...a generalization. It's hard to express everything you've gone through in a few months in a few paragraphs. Ah well.

Pax,

Lady Clare

Movie Review: The King's Speech

2011-01-22T18:47:00.012-05:00

Currently reading: Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Most recently watched movie: Batman Begins
Current favorite quote: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming!" -Dory from Finding Nemo (I love love LOVE Dory!!)

---

This movie just came out in late 2010, but it is one of the best movies of the year.

Starring Colin Firth as Prince Albert (later to become King George VI), Helena Bonham Carter as his wife, Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue, this movie has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards. It is a simple, quiet story about a man of great position and responsibility, whose stutter prevented him from giving encouragement to his people when they needed it. It is a movie about friendship and true love, about morality and respect for the age-old traditions and values. It is a movie lacking nudity, sex, violence, and crassness. Rarely does Hollywood hand movie-watchers such a gem.

(Note: May contain spoilers!)

King George V (father of George VI), is an elderly man with a problem on his hands. His oldest son, Edward (known as David to his family), is the heir to the throne, but he is an irresponsible, morally-lax playboy. The more steady Albert, George V's younger son, is his father's only hope. Unfortunately, Albert has a solid stammer that makes him something of an embarrassment to the family when he speaks in public.

Albert, however, has come to terms with his stammer -- somewhat. A pathetic stream of bumbling doctors has led him to believe that his stammer cannot be cured, but he doesn't allow it to prevent him from telling stories to his little girls, Elizabeth and Margaret.

Albert's acceptance of his situation has become what it is mostly from the support of his loving wife, the elegant Queen Elizabeth. Determined to find help for her husband, Elizabeth manages to find a man whose fine reputation as a speech therapist is not tarnished by his commoner status: Lionel Logue.

Lionel Logue's methods are "unorthodox", but he has a steady faith in his abilities to help those with speech impediments. His first session with Albert turns out rather badly, however, as Albert becomes increasingly frustrated by Lionel's quirkiness and odd questions. Lionel makes a bet with Albert, laying one shilling on the belief that Albert can read a few lines from Shakespeare without stumbling. Albert, incredulous, neither takes the bet nor wishes to read; but Lionel insists. He further places headphones on the Prince's head, blasting Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in Albert's ear while Albert reads. Albert throws off the headphones in annoyance a few minutes later; but before he can storm out of the room, Lionel hands him a record with a recording of Albert's recitation of Shakespeare.

Albert listens to the record later, his curiousity overcoming his initial fear and doubt. He places it on the record player and sits down to listen. Loud and clear comes the soliloquy "To be or not to be...", read without a single stammer by the unsuspecting Prince. Next scene, Albert is again sitting on Lionel's couch.

Beginning with basic breathing and speaking exercises (such as tongue-twisters), Lionel begins working with Albert. Although at first their relationship as patient and therapist is somewhat superficial, Lionel begins digging deeper into Albert's psychological mindset. He says that no child learns to speak with a stammer, and finds out eventually that Albert's stammer and abuse from Albert's nanny started about the same time, when Albert was 5 or 6 years old. Although both Albert and Lionel make mistakes, their friendship deepens as they continue working together. It is ultimately Lionel who pulls the King out of his fear and doubts into confidence and peace. In the beginnings of World War II, in one of England's most critical hours, Albert is able to be the role model of courage and gentleness that his people need.

(Picture of the real King George VI and Queen Elizabeth)

-
It is hard to find words to properly describe this movie. It is pure crystal. Do not let the R rating turn you off! The only reason it is rated R is because of a little bit of bad language. The S word and F word are repeated over and over, but I have to say that the context is actually rather funny. Lionel discovers that when Albert swears angrily, he doesn't stammer; so he asks the King to repeat all the swear words he knows. It is a brief scene, and not meant to be insulting or crude. I can think of many PG-13 movies that are infinitely worse, and should have been rated R.
Anyway, as I said, this movie is pure crystal. The pacing is quiet and gentle, and the acting is superb. It is a movie worth seeing over and over again, for it is beautiful, good, and true. It is one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen. Definitely makes it to the top three movies of 2010, in my opinion. ;)

Pax,
Lady Clare

The Re-Return of the Procrastinating Poster

2011-01-13T16:07:00.007-05:00

Currently reading: Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy [For those of you who have seen Inkheart, do you remember this quote? "Well, for the love of Thomas Hardy!"]
Most recently watched movie: Casablanca
Current favorite quote: "You Yourself contain all things and it is by containing things that You fill them. For those vessels which are full of You do not, as it were, keep You in a fixed condition; since, if they were broken, You would not be dispersed. And when You are poured out over us, it is not You who are brought low but us who are raised up, not You who are scattered but us who are brought together. You who fill everything are wholly present in everything which You fill." -from St. Augustine's Confessions [Yes, I'm reading that, too!]
Picture of the day:

--

Well, folks, it has been awhile, hasn't it? I have to say that I am just about the worst blogger ever. :P Ah well.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that!! I can't say I'm less busy than I was last year (see all the complaining in my last post), but I'm determined to not let it bog me down. My classes this year consist of:

(Homeschool)
Theology of the Body (again)
British Literature (again)
Chemistry (again)
Economics
Algebra II (not a co-op class)
Latin (not a co-op class)
Home Economics (not a co-op class)

(College)
College Composition I
Guitar
Yoga

So yes, I'm still busy. I'm pretty excited about this semester, though. I just had my first College Composition class at the college yesterday, and it looks like it will be really cool. My teacher rocks, which always helps. ;) I'm super excited about my guitar and yoga classes. I actually was supposed to have my first guitar class today, but I was late because I couldn't find the building, so I missed it. Eh, story of my life. :P I have to say that I'm a little bit leerie of my yoga class, if only because of the "spirituality" that generally accompanies yoga. But I'm doing it for the sake of exercise, and hopefully I won't have a very "spiritual" teacher. Cross your fingers. ;)

I really want to get back into writing. I didn't have much of a chance last semester to do any of my own writing; it was mostly for school. Our computer is also currently getting "fixed", and of course all my writing files are on that computer, so I can't access them right now. My book is calling to me! That isn't to say I've been paying much attention to it lately, anyway, because I haven't. ;)

Well, I hope I'm not being boring, just going on and on and on. But I guess I have to make up for all those lost months, right? Please forgive me for neglecting this blog so long....I don't mean to sound repetitive, but I really do hope to get back into the swing of things!!

Pax Christi,

Lady Clare

My life in digital words for those who still read them

2010-09-21T22:39:00.006-04:00

Currently reading: The Dragon King Saga by Stephen Lawhead
Most recently watched movie: Castle in the Sky
Current favorite quote: " 'Before you come inside, I should warn you,' Klepp said, 'it's chaos.'" -Abarat (I find this applies to the general state of my room)
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I don't know if you have ever seen the new movie Inception, but these are my absolute favorite characters from it. They're so amazing. :)

---

Well, I guess it's been quite a long while since I last posted!! I apologize. I have been so busy though. School has just completely smothered me; and other activities have added to the load as well. For instance, today I literally had classes ALL DAY. Now wait a minute, you might say, aren't you homeschooled? What are these classes you're talking about? Well, yes, I am homeschooled, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'm doing co-op classes with some friends of ours who are in our homeschool group. So, yeah, that was today. Afterwards, I had a creative writing class at the community college near us, and then right after I had Driver's Education classes for four hours. So I had classes from 8:30 in the morning to 9:00 at night.

Ugh.

Super ugh.

I am enjoying most of the classes, however. Like I said, I am taking a creative writing class at a community college, and that has been lots of fun. Then, for the co-op classes, I'm taking British Literature (one of the best classes ever!! We're currently reading "Pride and Prejudice" <3), Theology, American Government, and Chemistry. Brit Lit and Theology are two amazing classes, AG is okay, and Chemistry is terrifying. :P As for the Driver's Education classes, however, they are some of the most boring hours I have ever spent in my entire life. Four hours a day, three days a week, for two weeks, of constant lecturing and watching driving videos that were made in the 80's. So much information is forced into your brain that it comes in one ear and goes out the other. Anyways, at least when it's all done I can get my permanent driver's license. :) Oh yes, that makes up for it all.... *mwahahaha*

I'm so sad. Apricotpie.com is closing its doors!! That has been my writing support for so long. I'm going to miss it sooooo much. I'm thinking about starting a writing blog so I can post my pieces of writing, or something like that. Keep your eyes open! :)

Well, as it is late, I must go to bed. I apologize for the short post, but hopefully I'll be able to get back into the habit of posting somewhat regularly. God bless you all!

Pax,

Clare

Truth, Wisdom and Socrates

2010-08-07T22:36:00.007-04:00

Currently reading: Star Wars: The Last Command by Timothy Zahn
Most recently watched movie: Little Women
Current favorite quote: "Leia took a deep breath. Finally. After ten hours of labor -- after nine months of pregnancy -- the end was finally in sight.
"No. Not the end. The beginning.
"They laid the twins in her arms a few minutes later...and as she looked first at them and then up at Han, she felt a sense of utter peace settle over her. Out among the stars there might be a war going on; but for here, for now, all was right with the universe." -The Last Command

--

I have a very close friend -- one of my best friends -- who is not only a beautiful Christian and an amazing person, but also a very intelligent and knowledge-seeking student. Lately, we've been reading and discussing some of the Great Books together, such as: The Declaration of Independence, Shakespeare, Euclid, Aeschylus, and various others. Though it sounds dry and boring (especially in summer -- "what is she thinking?!"), it has been actually quite fun and, more importantly, very thought-provoking...and refreshing. So today I was inspired to pull off one of the "Harvard Classics" books of our shelf and read some of Plato. I started with the first thing in the book, The Apology of Socrates. Plato was a student of Socrates, so I take it to mean that Plato wrote this Apology as a first-hand account when Socrates was on trial and giving his defense, because Socrates never actually wrote any piece of work.

I didn't get very far (it is a rather extensive work), but I was struck by something Socrates points out again and again as something very important: Truth. He was a very truthful man himself, and desired to give truth to others by presenting it in a reasonable and logical way.

It got me thinking: what is Truth? Actually, not so much "what is Truth" but "How do we know Truth and how does it relate to ourselves?"

The only reason Socrates was on trial was because he was pointing out the truth to others. Socrates was a great thinker, but also a humble one; for he repeats often in his Apology that he is neither very wise nor very stupid:

"For I know that I have no wisdom, small or great." (pg 9)

Because the oracle of Delphi had said that "there was no man wiser [than Socrates]" (pg 9), Socrates decided to decipher the meaning of this declaration by speaking to various people and ascertaining from their conversations just how wise they were. His conclusion was:

"...I could not help thinking that he was not really wise, although he was thought wise by many, and wiser still by himself; and I went and tried to explain to him that he thought himself wise, but was not really wise; and the consequence was that he hated me..." (pg 9)

So Socrates was accused, put on trial, and found guilty because he pointed out the truth.

This brings us back to the question: "How do we know Truth?"

I think the answer is Wisdom.

What is wisdom? Wisdom by the world's standards is one thing; wisdom by God's standards is another. I think the difference between the two is shown by the difference between Socrates and the men he said were "not really wise".
Wisdom by the world's standards is a knowledge of things that should not be known. Consider Adam and Eve. What happened when they received the world's wisdom -- the Devil's wisdom -- after they disobeyed God?

"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked" (Gen. 3:7)

Their holy innocence was destroyed by this so-called "wisdom". Wordly wisdom thinks it is wise, and therefore it is not.

Socrates put it well when he said that "God only is wise" (pg 11). Socrates recognized that he had no great wisdom; and it was in realizing this that his wisdom lay, and in truth he could recognize the lack of wisdom in others.

It is when we also recognize that we have no great wisdom, when we realize that God only possesses the fullness of wisdom, when we recognize this great Truth, then God pours wisdom into our hearts, because that Truth in itself is Wisdom.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who live by it." (Ps. 111: 10)

Prudence is by definition "the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason" (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Sounds a bit like wisdom, doesn't it?

Truth, then, begets Wisdom; for Socrates said of a man named Evenus, who supposedly possessed great wisdom:

"Had I the same, I should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no knowledge of the kind, O Athenians." (pg 8)

So we know Wisdom through Truth, and in turn, Truth through Wisdom....Our next question is: "How does Truth relate to ourselves?"
The psalmist states:

"Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom." (Ps. 51:8)

Once we realize the Truth, that God alone is all-Wise, all-Powerful, and all-Omniscient, then He in turn pours some of His Wisdom into our hearts.

Perhaps this also is wisdom:

"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil. 4:8)

The Apology of Socrates is "gracous", possessing "excellence", and is "worthy of praise"...and I have thought "about these things"...so perhaps I have gained some of God's wisdom.

Pax,
Limwen

Good Ol' Writer's Block

2010-08-05T10:51:00.005-04:00

Currently reading: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Most recently watched movie: Robin Hood (the Disney cartoon)
Current favorite quote: "The point of Christianity is not to be childish, but childlike." -Anonymous

I hate lack of inspiration. The picture you see here is the cover for my book that a friend of mine made. (Loriann)
I'm at chapter twenty-six, but I can't seem to get beyond that. So I'm rather frustrated with the story right now in that respect; and I'm also frustrated with it in another respect because I'm very unsatisfied with many of the beginning chapters. I feel the urge to go back and rewrite it all, but I'm forcing myself to go on. After all, this is only the first draft. After this is complete (which I'm hoping it will be by at the latest November), I can then go back and chop it to pieces. So to speak. ;)

So I've decided today to go to one of my favorite places in the whole wide world: the library! I'm going to get a bunch of books out and just read. Perhaps reading good books will help me to be inspired....

Pax,
Limwen

My Mind Rebels At Stagnation

2010-07-28T21:40:00.006-04:00

Currently reading: Rakkety Tam by Brian Jacques
Most recently watched movie: Free Willy: Escape from Pirates' Cove
Current favorite quote: "All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." -Charles Schulz
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: This is of my guinea pig, Skipper, who just died about a week ago. He was my first guinea pig and I've had him for about 5 or 6 years. He was my widdle baby.... :)

--

I've decided to make this a very random post because I can't decide want I want to post about.....

So hello everyone!! I'm back/have been back from vacation in Canada! I'm sorry it took me so long to post, but I've been busy and also just not feeling ready to get back into blogging.

My brother just had a graduation party this past Sunday...and boy was that crazy! The whole week before we were preparing, so that was crazy; the party had like 100 people so that was crazy; my brother's only two years older than I am and he's going to college and THAT'S crazy!! So this week I've been doing one very important thing:
relaxing.
(Ahhhhh....)

I've come to the conclusion that Rakkety Tam is already one of my favorite Redwall books EVER, and I haven't even finished it yet!

Watch this video, it's AMAZING.

Do you ever wonder why turtles are so downright cute?? At least, I think they're cute....
Maybe you don't feel the same way. ;)

Have you ever heard the song "Pure" by Superchick? Or "Heaven Song" by Phil Wickham? Oh my goodness, they're both soooooo GOOD!! You should listen to them sometime. ;)

I hate iTunes. While it's useful for getting stuff on my iPod, it slows down the computer like heck.

I love Sherlock Holmes.

This is a drawing of Keira Knightley (as Elizabeth Bennet) that I did. The scan turned out horribly, it looks much more better in real life....But at least you can get a glimpse of how it looks. I'm planning on entering it into the Fair. Do you like it?

I think God has a sense of humor.

And with that, I shall close this random, short, not really meaningful post. ;)

Adieu!

Pax,
Limwen

Vacation and an Award

2010-06-25T16:56:00.005-04:00

Currently reading: Auralia's Colors (As you can see from looking at my libraries on the sidebar, I'm reading lots of things right now...but Auralia is what I'm focusing primarily on right now.)
Most recently watched movie: Toy Story 3
Current favorite quote: "Sunnyside is a place of ruin and despair, ruled by a bear who smells of strawberries." -Mr. Pricklepants from Toy Story 3
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I just love Audrey Hepburn...she's so classy and gorgeous. :)

---

First things first...
I got awarded by Galadriel! Thanks sooo much! :D Here it is:

Ain't it purty? ;) Okay, so the rules are that I have to post five random things about myself and then award five people. Here goes!

1. I love cabbage and noodles.
2. I've been to Guatemala.
3. I received a very lovely comment from Donita K. Paul (author of the DragonKeeper Chronicles) awhile back! It totally made my day! :D My claim to fame.
4. I can't stand mushrooms. (The hobbit side of me cringes when I make this statement.)
5. I play piano, and have been playing for almost 11 years.

I award Melody, Hannah, Laura, Heather, and Anna. Enjoy!

Secondly, I'm afraid this will be the last post for awhile. My family and I are leaving on vacation tomorrow, and we'll be gone for a week. Actually, that's not entirely true; they'll be gone for a week (myself included), but I will also be gone for another week after that. I'm staying at a friend's house for about a week and then getting picked up by my parents after that. So for a short while, I bid you adieu. Pray for us! :)

Pax,
Limwen

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer!

2010-06-17T15:45:00.005-04:00

Currently reading: Star Wars: Specter of the Past by Timothy Zahn (yes, I finally finished The Count of Monte Cristo!)
Most recently watched movie: The Count of Monte Cristo
Current favorite quote: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." -Pride and Prejudice
Picture of the day: none

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Well, the trailer for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader finally came out!! It looks AMAZING!! I'm so excited to see this movie! (And on a side note, aren't the kids soooo grown up?? Lucy looks gorgeous....And not when she's looking in the magic book.)

Apologies for the cut-off on the right side...but enjoy anyway. :)

Pax,
Limwen

Joyful prayers

2010-06-08T22:04:00.003-04:00

Currently reading: The Count of Monte Cristo and DragonLight
Most recently watched movie: Gooby
Current favorite quote: " 'Wear pink!' her mother had said. 'It confuses the enemy.' " — DragonFire (I think) by Donita K. Paul
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I made this for my own amusement, but you all might enjoy it too. :) (Especially you NaNoWriMo people.)

---

I really don't have much to say. It's been a tremendously crazy weekend because...

My brother got married!!!!
I'm now a sister-in-law!! :D :D

So I'd like you all to pray for my brother and his new wife...not that anything's wrong, but I'd just like you all to pray that they grow in their love for each other and for God with each day, and they will have many, many blessed years together. Thanks, everyone. :)

Pax!
-Limwen

A prosy sort of poem

2010-05-29T21:47:00.007-04:00

Currently reading: The Count of Monte Cristo
Most recently watched movie: Iron Man (1)
Current favorite quote: "You go your way and I'll go mine...while we miss each other!" - Deborah Kerr as Terry in An Affair to Remember
Picture(s) of the day: I got a haircut just a few days ago...so I used to look like this...

...and now I look like this!

It's not so spectacular since you haven't actually seen how long my hair used to be...but you can gather how different it is from the pictures, of course. :) Feels infinitely better for summer!!

---

So the other night, I couldn't get to sleep...and finally I picked up my little scripture passage-a-day book. I forget what exactly the passage was, but the words "Abide in Me" stuck out at me...and then this "prosy sort of poem" just came out of my fingers...and I guess my heart too. :)

-

HEARTS

by me =)

Alone with my failings
Alone in the night
I felt my heart
Beating
The rhythm it pulsed was one of sadness
And it spoke a language of loneliness

Alone with my failings
Alone in the night
I reached with my heart....

Beating.

Beating.
Not one heart, but two.

My heart beat a staccato of fear
The other heart beat a slow beat of love

He held me close
My heart against His
And He waited patiently for my heart
Waited for my heart to beat with His
Simultaneously

Patiently, slowly, gently He whispered
Abide
Abide with Me
Abide in Me
Abide, My love, in Me because
I love you

And as He spoke, I could hear His heart
Beating

Alone with His heart
Alone in His love
I felt my heart
Beating
The rhythm it pulsed was one of weeping
And it spoke a language of openness

Alone with His heart
Alone in His love
I reached with my heart....

Beating.

Beating. (His heart was beating.)
Not two hearts, but one.

--

Pax,
Limwen

My Weekend

2010-05-24T19:26:00.010-04:00

Currently reading: The Count of Monte Cristo (it's a long book. ;D)
Most recently watched movie: An Affair to Remember
Current favorite quote: "God does not have an end so everything that seems to end really lives." -- a friend of mine who shall remain anonymous
Picture of the day: no picture today

---

My weekend (and weekday, counting today) has been busy, busy, busy...

Saturday: Had my piano recital at 1:30 in the afternoon. I was scared to pieces, but it went rather well. :) Maybe sometime I'll post the video my dad taped of me on here...
Sunday: My mom and I hosted a bridal shower for my brother's fiance. It was a really nice shower; we made it a tea party (hats and all, although no one really wore a hat...). There weren't very many people (no more than 20), but it was nice because it was small. Cozy. ;) (Oh yes, and the wedding's June 5. We're all pretty excited.)
Today (Monday): Spent about 6 or 7 hours driving to different malls with my mom, shopping. She was looking for a mother-of-the-groom dress for the wedding; and I convinced her to drop me off at Half-Price Books while she checked out JC Penney's and Sears!! I was so pumped. :D I promised myself I wouldn't go over my budget (I was carrying about $20, so that was my limit), but of course I ended up having to borrow money from Mom when she came and picked me up. ;D So here's what I got:

a Rebecca St. James CD (called Transform, and it has two of my favorite of her songs on it, so I was pretty happy.)
The Tolkien Companion -- I don't remember who it's by, but it's a really cool book, almost like a Tolkien dictionary...(and the cover looks really awesome)
Hood (Book 1 of the King Raven Trilogy) -- Stephen R. Lawhead
Dragon Rider -- Cornelia Funke
The Thief Lord -- Cornelia Funke
Auralia's Colors -- Jeffrey Overstreet (I actually haven't read it, but I've been wanting to and it looks really good. ;D)

Also, while browsing around Best Buy (Mom was in a different JC Penney's at that point), I found Brisingr by Christopher Paolini! Leave it to me to go into an electronics store and come out with a book. ;D It was 25% off, so that made me happy; and I was even happier to find out that it was even cheaper than I expected it to be!

So all in all, I think I made out pretty good. ;)

How was your weekend?

Pax,
Limwen

Movie Review: Robin Hood

2010-05-19T10:11:00.010-04:00

Currently reading: The Count of Monte Cristo
Most recently watched movie: Leatherheads
Current favorite quote: "Inantimate objects conspire against me." -my mom, after knocking two different things down, one right after the other
Picture of the day:
Gandalf!

---
ROBIN HOOD: MY REVIEW

*NOTE: Contains spoilers!!!*

Plot summary: In the late 12th century, King Richard the Lionhearted is on his way home to England from the Middle East, where he was on crusade. With him is a large army of stout Englishmen, among whom is Robin Longstride -- a brave, down-to-earth yeoman. During a battle, King Richard is killed, and his right-hand man, Robert Loxley, sets out with some knights to return Richard's crown to his Queen mother. Robin Longstride also leaves the scene of the battle, along with some friends of his, including Alan a'Dale, Little John, and Will Scarlet. Taking a different route from that of Loxley, they are surprised to come upon Loxley and his knights later and find them ambushed by Sir Godfrey, a close friend of King Richard's younger brother John and secretly an agent of France. Sir Godfrey was on a mission from the King of France to murder King Richard; but finding the King already dead, he attempts to take Richard's crown. Robin and his crew, however, drive Godfrey's ambush party away. They return to the scene of the ambush, and Robin finds Robert Loxley -- not dead, but obviously dying. Loxley gives Robin his sword, asking Robin to take it to Loxley's father. Robin is struck by the words on the sword:

Rise and rise again
Until lambs become lions

Robin, now assuming Robert Loxley's identity, sets out for London Town to bring the crown home to the royal family -- accompanied, of course, by Little John, Will, and Alan (who all pretend to be knights). He witnesses Prince John crowned king, and witnesses also King John's selfishness. (John was about to give a ring as a reward to Robin; but remembering that Robert Loxley's father owed a petty debt to the crown, he told Robin, a.k.a. Robert Loxley, that the ring "would be a start" and kept it.)

Afterwards, Robin sets out for Nottingham to fulfill Robert Loxley's dying wish and return his sword to Loxley's father. Once there, he meets Robert Loxley's widow, Marion, and Loxley's blind father, Walter Loxley. Walter urges Robin to remain in Nottingham, keeping up the assumed identity of Robert Loxley, so the Loxleys' land can be protected from the Crown. (If the Crown found out that Robert Loxley had died, the land would be taken away from the Lady Marion.) Robin agrees, although the situation is rather dangerous for him; for Sir Godfrey knows of his deception and could come find him anytime. While he is there, he and Marion find themselves falling in love (although at first she gives him the cold shoulder); and Walter tells Robin about Robin's father -- whom Robin never knew. Walter says that Robin's father died trying to unify the nobles and the king of England.

Meanwhile, Sir Godfrey is conspiring against King John, sowing seeds of hatred among the people by destroying their lands in the name of King John. At the same time, he is arranging for the King of France to invade England, just when its unity is weakest -- for all the English nobles, believing John to be the source of their destroyed lands, are rising up against him. Robin goes to a meeting of the nobles and the king in an attempt to re-unify them. He succeeds, and the king and the nobles all assemble their armies and begin to ride to the coast of England, where the French armies are expected to land. On the way there, Robin hears of trouble in Nottingham, and rides to the rescue. Sir Godfrey, it turns out, had attacked Nottingham while Robin was gone, and was in the process of destroying the land and killing half the people when Robin arrived with his army. Sir Godfrey flees to the coast of England. He is there when the French armies arrive; but unbeknownst to Godfrey, the armies of England are also on their way to the coast. In a stunning battle, the armies of England wipe out the armies of France, and Godfrey is killed. King John, hoping the people would give him praise because he led one charge on the battlefield, is upset when Robin Longstride is hailed with cheers and praises because of his bravery in battle. Accordingly, King John labels him an outlaw for pretending to be Robert Loxley (and for some invented crimes); and Robin is forced to flee to the woods (with Lady Marion of course), where he and his men become known as men "of the Hood".

My thoughts: It was about as good as I expected it to be....And let's say I wasn't really expecting that much.
Bad points: Number one on my list of bad points were the immoral references/scenes. There was WAY more than I expected there would be...and way more than I thought should have been in there/was necessary. If it were my choice, I would say have no sex-related scenes at all. There were two, but there were some other immoral jokes made or immoral scenes implied. (One good thing, though: none of the sex/sex-related scenes were between Robin and Marion. Both were very decent people.) I would have enjoyed the movie much, much more if none of that stuff had been in there.
Also what I didn't like was that, in the final battle, Lady Marion came to war in armor. Repeat: Lady Marion came to do battle, all rigged-out in fancy armor. I thought that was totally unnecessary, illogical, ridiculous, inaccurate, and totally stupid. I didn't mind when she occasionally wielded a sword (when she was defending Nottingham and stuff like that)...but to actually come to a huge battle in armor was over the top. Made me mad.
I also didn't like Little John. Wasn't Little John named "Little" John because he was something of a gentle giant? At least, in all the stories I've heard about Robin Hood, Little John always seemed to be such a sweet guy. Not so in this movie. He was loud, obnoxious, vulgar, and a brute. He had his moments where he was genuine -- he could be funny -- but all in all he was just plain obnoxious.
I didn't like King Richard. He annoyed me. But I've heard mixed opinions on King Richard -- sometimes he sounds like a real nice guy, other times he sounds like a jerk. In this movie he was something of a jerk.
I also felt that some of the beginning of the movie could have been cut in a way that made the story a little bit clearer. As it was, I was kind of confused.
I love Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, but I felt there were a little bit too old for these roles. However, I didn't notice it too much because, as I said, I love both those people. :)
I also didn't like Prince John. But that goes without saying. ;)

Good points: Number one, the acting. It was superb. Russell Crowe is one of my FAVORITE actors, and he was awesome in this movie. Cate Blanchett was also amazing, Max von Sydow (Walter Loxley) was good, Mark Strong (Sir Godfrey) as usual, played a really horrible bad guy (horrible in the sense that the actor did such a good job the character was horrible). I also liked the guy who played Will Scarlet; and the guy who played Friar Tuck. They were good.
I loved the cinematography, especially the battle scenes. It's a different sort of style -- rather fast, but I imagine that's what a real battle would be like. Plus, the arrows felt so realistic -- seemed like they would jump out of the screen at you (no, it wasn't in 3D), and made you glad you weren't in the battle.
I loved the music. It was gorgeous, soaring and beautiful and sweeping. I really want the soundtrack now. ;)
I loved the respect Robin showed for Marion. The trailer for this movie made me afraid that there would be some sex-related scenes between the two, but as I said before, there were none. He treats her with a playful respect that is just really sweet.
I liked the flashbacks to Robin's childhood, which the words "Rise and rise again/Until lambs become lions" spurs in Robin's memory. The flashbacks were mainly Robin as a little boy first putting his handprint with his dad on a wet stone (which also has the words "Rise and rise again" etc.), then watching his dad get killed. There were sad and poignant (and the boy who played little Robin was adorable!).
I also loved the horses in this movie. Call me weird, but the horses were just so GORGEOUS!! I loved them. ;D

Rating (out of 5 stars):
Acting: *****
Morality: **
Cinematography: *****
Music: *****
Characters: ****
Other (the rest of the movie): ***
Overall rating: ***

--
Pax!
-Limwen

"Tastes like coconut."

2010-05-13T13:12:00.013-04:00

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Currently reading: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Most recently watched movie: The 13th Day
Current favorite quote: "I remember nothing about it except a philological fact. My mother said nothing about the dragon, but pointed out that one could not say 'a green great dragon', but had to say 'a great green dragon'. I wondered why, and still do." -J.R.R. Tolkien on his first story about a dragon
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: This is my youngest older brother (he's two years older than I), and me, sitting on a couch at my grandma's house. We're probably about 3 and 5 years old, I'd guess. He has the sports uniform (of course), and I have a...cowlick??

--

Today I feel like being random. Hence the random quote for the title of this post. (It's actually from Iron Man 2; it's a line of Robert Downey Jr's.)
So, random things about my life right now...

Most importantly, a life-long friend of my mom's passed away two days ago...so I'd like to ask you all to pray for her! She's going to need some comfort.

Secondly, I'm writing an essay on children's entertainment; I'm trying to get the point across that I think entertainment for children is generally pretty stupid nowadays, but I can't seem to word it right.

I finished Ivanhoe today. I absolutely loved it. It was downright hilarious in parts, which surprised me, and is deliciously stuffed full with excitement and chivalry and knightly jousting and beautiful ladies and other attributes of the Middle Ages. The various scenarios that take place, and how they take place, in this book reminded me of a movie; and that also surprised me, because Ivanhoe was published in the early 1800's.

I have a piano recital coming up in about a week, and I do NOT feel prepared. Not at all. And the fact that summer and a break from piano is a mere week or two away doesn't help either. At this point, I'm just like "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Do you ever get that feeling? Especially when the end of the school year nears?
Hmm. I think I need prayers too.

Lastly, I'd like to post an inrush of Tolkien pictures. Nice way to wrap up this strange and rather boring post, don't you think? ;)

Tolkien with his pipe...not at all unusual. :) I love his pipe, btw. He doesn't look whole without it. :D

Isn't this just too cute?? This is Tolkien and his son Christopher...I thought it was just adorable and had to post it.

Tolkien drawings...

Edith Tolkien - isn't she beautiful? Now, if you want to know what Luthien Tinuviel looked like...well, just look at Edith. She was, no doubt, Tolkien's inspiration for Luthien. Tolkien said of her, "She was (and knew she was) my Luthien." and "Her hair was raven, her skin clear, her eyes bright, and she could sing -- and dance."

The gravestone of Tolkien and Edith.

Hope you enjoyed them. :)
(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these photos. Photos from arwen-undomiel.com)

Pax,
Limwen

Purity

2010-05-05T08:39:00.007-04:00

Currently reading: Ivanhoe
Most recently watched movie: More Than a Game
Current favorite quote: "Perelandra and The Lord of the Rings seemed to me more in total than the simple sum of their parts. These books, I concluded, derived their value chiefly from this inner worth, this integrity that lay behind the stories themselves. But what was it?
"It was, of course, the Christian faith of the authors shining through the fabric of their work. I saw that faith informed the story, and infused it with value and meaning, lifting the tale above the ordinary expressions of the genre. Even though the stories of Lewis, Tolkien, or other Inklings like Charles Williams, were not explicitly promoting Christianity, nevertheless the books were ripe with it." -Stephen R. Lawhead on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien in his essay "J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Middle-earth".
Picture of the day: I think I'll forego the picture today. I can't seem to find a good one that isn't from a movie. (I've posted way too many movie pictures.) :D

---

Today I'd like to talk a little bit about purity. Any good Christian is aware of the world's view on chastity, and how much purity is disregarded.
I think the two questions here are "Why is there so much disrespect for purity?" and "How can I, as a Christian, change that?"
We realize that we have to be witnesses of holy purity. How do we go about doing that, though?
First we have to look at why there is so much impurity. I think there are two very good reasons:

Immodesty
A longing for real love

Immodesty really applies only to girls. Karol Wojtyla once said: "The evolution of modesty in woman requires some initial insight into the male psychology." I think many women do not realize that by dressing immodestly, they are not only degrading themselves, but also hurting the men they interacte with. There have been many men who have wished that girls would dress modestly. I think there are two reasons behind why girls dress immodestly. Number one is that perhaps they don't realize the seriousness of what they are doing, or have not been raised to know better; Number two is that they DO know what they are doing, and are setting themselves up as objects. If either one, it should be our job to try and lovingly teach them the beauty of modesty. Especially if number two, we should help them realize their dignity as women, children of God made in His image and likeness. They should also know that they don't need to dress provacatively in order to attract the guys; any man who is attracted to a woman because of her modestly covered outer beauty, AND her inner beauty, is truly worth attracting.

A longing for real love I think is what fuels a lot of the impure activity in our culture. Both men and women think that in order to find real love, they need to enter into a relationship where they are doing stuff that should only be done in marriage. So they hop from one boyfriend/girlfriend to the next, searching for love; and they are ignorant of the fact that real love only requires a little patience and a LOT of chastity. Most don't realize that living a life of chastity, even when you are in a relationship or engaged, intensifies love in ways they couldn't imagine. St. Josemarie Escriva says:

"When you decide firmly to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: it will be a crown of triumph."

We should pray for these people. Many of them are not as lucky as we are in their upbringing, or their friends, or their faith. They need our prayers and our support; because no matter what they've done, they are still God's children and He loves them more than anyone could imagine.

"For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more." -(Hebrews 8:12)

So now, how do we go about changing the world? St. Francis of Assisi said:

"Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words."

By our example we can preach the Gospel of Jesus to all corners of the world. All it takes is a little bit of love. For those of you who have seen the movie Evan Almighty, God says to Evan: "You want to change the world? Do it by one small act of random kindness at a time." We know who we are: we are committed Christians whose mission is to bring the world to Christ. St. Catherine of Siena said:

"If you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze!"

Our goal, then, is to live purity, to forgive others, to love "our neighbor as yourself", and to ultimately draw people closer to God.

"Then Peter approaching asked him, 'Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." -(Matthew 18:21-22)

Since we must be like Jesus in all things, we need to forgive and love others, even our worst enemies, as ourselves! Jesus begged forgiveness for his torturors as He was dying in agony on the cross! Can't we do the same?
We must live lives of love and purity. It is a tall order, but we are not alone, and we are ultimately not doing it for ourselves. Mother Teresa said:

"To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving Him enough to do His will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something beautiful for Him."

That makes all the difference, doesn't it? From the song "Here I Am" by Janelle:

Here I am/Lead me on/Time to show the world true beauty!/Change the world by/Changing hearts/Let them in on what they could be!

Isn't there a psalm that says, "God is with me, I am not afraid"? With God, all things are possible. We just need to say yes and let Him enter our heart.

The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on high places." -(Habakkuk 3:19)

Pax!
-Limwen

I dream of a forest

2010-05-01T11:54:00.003-04:00

Currently reading: The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brien (still!)
Most recently watched movie: The Princess of Thieves
Current favorite quote: "You've lost your muchness." -The Mad Hatter from the movie Alice in Wonderland
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: This is the "cover" for a short story I wrote....That is all. :)

---

The following is a piece of writing based on a dream I had recently, and alas, which I can remember only hazily. Most of what is written is what I could remember from the dream; but of course I added some necessary details and tried to tie it together so it made some sense. When I was writing it down, I didn't intend for it to be this morbid, and the dream, although it was rather intense, didn't feel quite so morbid; but it turned out that way.

I dream of a forest

The Darkness was about them. But the figures strode on. There were four of them: three were cloaked and hooded, blending into – but not with – the Darkness, save for a single white gem on their breasts. The fourth was unmasked: a woman, clad in dark grey armor. Black was her hair, twisted up into braids on her head; but very, very pale was her face. A white face, a quiet face, like the calm expressions on statues carved of marble.
Indeed, the Darkness was about them. In amongst the trees it dwelt, slithering about in burning shadows, smoldering with intensity. All was calm, a deathly calm, and too quiet for a forest. The forest stretched for many miles, far as the eye could see; but as far as the eye could see, or the ear could hear, there was no living creature.
Empty. Empty and watchful and lifeless.
The very trees were black.
The company walked between those dark trees. Apprehension was in their steps. Fear was in the woman’s eyes, not a cowardly fear, but a whole and well-grounded fear. Like the soldiers’ fear before they go into battle. Only the foolish ones pretend they do not feel it; the brave ones march on with their swords in hand. So the woman and her companions. They glanced at every shadow, and nothing leaped out at them – yet – but still they pushed on.
Even their footsteps were muffled in the ashy ground. The ground was like a tomb: cold and grey and relentless. And as mourners in a graveyard speak seldom, and in hushed voices, so the company said little, and then only softly.
The trees were black, the ground was grey, and the sky was red.
It was Death.

--

I don't know, do you think it could turn into a story?

Pax,
Limwen

A re-posting of "The Days of Chivalry are Dead"

2010-04-22T10:12:00.009-04:00

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Currently reading: The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brien
Most recently watched movie: Iron Man
Current favorite quote: "I can avoid being seen if I wish; but to disappear entirely -- that is a rare gift." -Aragorn from The Fellowship of the Ring (the line is cool, but also the way he says it is just amazing!!)
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I love this picture of Heath Ledger; it's from A Knight's Tale, which is the only movie I've seen him in; but I really liked him in that. It's so sad that he died, isn't it?
---

I was looking at my other blog, Precious Gems, when I discovered this blog post I had posted on there a long time ago. I liked it so much (if I may say so myself) I decided to re-post it here. :D Btw, Precious Gems is kind of in its death throes right now, so I'm really looking for people who would like to co-run it with myself and my friend, Meggy. I think it calls for more than just two people, so if you are at all interested in co-running it with me, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! Thank you. :) Oh yes, and here is the link for the blog so you can check it out (copy and paste into your address bar): http://chliara-preciousgems.blogspot.com

*~*

The days of chivalry are dead...sad, isn't it?

I was thinking about this, and I found a poem on a friend's blog which describes this just right [I forget who it's by; Wodehouse, I think...]

Oh, it makes me sort of sad
To think about Sir Galahad
And all the knights of that romantic day:
To amuse a girl and charm her
They would climb into their armour
And jump into the fray:

They called her ``Lady love'',

They used to wear her little glove,

And everything that she said went:

For those were the days when a lady was a lady

And a gent was a perfect gent.

Some nights when the knights sat down to dine,
Sir Claude would say: ``That girl of mine

Makes every woman jealous when she sees her.

'Then someone else would shout: ``Behave,
Thou malapert and scurvy knave,
Or I will smite thee one upon the beezer!''
And then next morning in the lists
They'd take their lances in their fists
And mount a pair of chargers, highly mettled:
And when Sir Claude, so fair and young,
Got punctured in the leg or lung,
They looked upon the argument as settled.

The days of Chivalry are dead,
Of which in stories I have read,
When knights were bold and acted kind of scrappy;
They used to take a lot of pains
And fight all day to please the Janes,
And if their dame was tickled they was happy.
But now the men are mild and meek:
They seem to have a yellow streak:
They never lay for other guys, to flatten 'em:
They think they've done a darned fine thing
If they just buy the girl a ring
Of imitation diamonds and platinum.

Isn't that hilarious? And yet it's perfectly true. The days of chivalry are dead, sadly; as well as the days when "a lady was a lady, and a gent was a perfect gent." Sometimes, I really wish I had been born in the Middle Ages. Think about it. Ladies were treated with respect, both by the knights [who followed the great law of chivalry, of course] and by themselves.

Those were the days of deep faith, solemn rituals, respected royalty; when ceremonies and knightings were honored, God-based events...

When a knight would ride to battle, encouraged by the love of his lady, and the love of his God...

When knights fought battles for their honor, loyalty, and their loved...[please ignore the telephone wires in the back of the above photo :P]...

When knights would risk all else to save a lady, especially the one he loved...
[And women wore such beautiful, ladylike dresses besides.]

I often sigh for those days.

Of course, the 1800's weren't so bad either...

Those were days of style and good taste; dancing and courting, walks in the lush countrysides and teacups...

Boy, don't you think the 21st century is missing something?

Pax,
Limwen

The Hunger (for tags?)

2010-04-06T18:17:00.005-04:00

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Currently reading: My Antonia by Willa Cather
Most recently watched movie: The Empire Strikes Back
Current favorite quote: "I have no taste for dancing. I'd rather fetch that stick." -Mr. Knightley in the 1996 movie Emma
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I just saw this movie (twice, actually) and I absolutely fell in love with it. Ruth Wilson (who plays Jane) does an amazing job, and Toby Stevens brings dear Mr. Rochester to life in ways I never thought possible.

--

I got this tag a while back from Melody and now I'm finally doing it. :D Here goes!

Rules: Put your music player on shuffle. Then answer the following questions by using the title to each song that plays while on shuffle. Then tag 6 people.

I tag:

Heather (from Magical Ink)
Anna (from And The Clock Strikes "Heaven!"
Hannah (from Aspire)
Trav (from Musings of a Stranger in a Strange Land)
Laura (from Shieldmaiden for Him)
Pip (from Beautiful Miasma)

Are you male or female? Brand New Day (Fireflight) - um...

What do people feel when they are around you? Here I am to Worship (Michael W. Smith) - ack, I hope not! :D Thou shalt worship the Lord alone! Unless it means they really love me, then I say: AWWWW

Describe your current relationship? Can't Slow Down (Pride and Prejudice soundtrack) - kinda true, actually...my current relationship is with God of course, and sometimes it seems like He makes time go by way too fast!

Where would you like to be right now? Evenstar (Lord of the Rings soundtrack) - ah yes, perfect. :)

How do you feel about love? Can't Take It In (Imogen Heap, Narnia soundtrack) - well, that's kind of true...not yet, at any rate!

What's your life like? Amazing (Janelle) - PERFECT! HA HA!

What would you wish for if you only had one wish? Cecilia (Simon and Garfunkel) - hmm...

Say something wise? Meryton Townhall (P&P soundtrack) - no comment...

If someone says "Is this okay. . ." You say? Lost Woods (The Legend of Zelda) - yeah...sure!

How would you describe yourself? Flaming Red Hair (LOTR soundtrack) - haha! well, my hair's mostly brown, but yes it does also have some red in it. It could also mean I have a hot temper, which is true! :D

How do you feel today? Use Well the Days (Annie Lennox, LOTR soundtrack) - Yup, that sounds just about right.

What is your life's purpose? For Aragorn and Arwen (Enya, LOTR soundtrack) - haha, that's true...I'm totally obsessed with Lord of the Rings.

What is your motto? Unbreakable (Fireflight) - oh yeah, PERFECT!

What do your friends think of you? Night Ride across the Caucasus (Loreena McKennitt) - okay then...

What do you think of your parents? Lazy Days (Enya) - haha, not really, they like to put me to work! :P

What do you think of very often? Liz On Top of the World (P&P soundtrack) - or is it Limwen on top of the world? Haha, no I think what it means is that that particular scene (Liz on top of the world) is one where she's daydreaming, and yeah, I daydream a lot.

What is 2+2? I am a Rock (Simon and Garfunkel) - I never liked math. :P

What do you think of your best friend? The Love We Had Before (Fireflight) - and the love we have now! :)

What is your life story? Caribbean Blue (Enya) - hmm...

What do you want to be when you grow up? Concerning Hobbits (LOTR soundtrack) - or would it be concerned about hobbits?

What will you dance to at your wedding? Athair Ar Neamh (Enya) - hey, I'd be fine with that! Lovely (thought slow) song, and I absolutely love Enya!

What will they play at your funeral? Wait For Me (Rebecca St. James) - aw, man, that's one of my favorite songs! That's so sad!

What is your hobby/interest? The Celts (Enya) - hmm, yes, that's rather true...I'm obsessed with my Celtic (Scottish and Irish) heritage. :)

What is your biggest fear? Georgiana (P&P soundtrack) - *cough cough* If I ever actually meet someone named Georgiana, I'm going to turn tail and run in terror.

What is your biggest secret? Wunderkind (Alanis Morissette, Narnia soundtrack) - whatever that means!

What do you think of your friends? Silver Inches (Enya) - weeeeel, I guess...it's a happy song. :)

What will you re-post this as? The Hunger (Fireflight) - ooh, intense! :D

--

Pax,
Limwen

Humility

2010-03-20T09:23:00.006-04:00

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Currently reading: Triss by Brian Jacques
Most recently watched movie: Bridge to Terebithia
Current favorite quote: "Scarum immediately began sprouting nautical nonsense. 'Belay then, me hearties, an' all that sort o' bilge scuttle. Lower your jolly old main wotsits an' turn that thingeeyo handle. Trim up those sail doodlemidads an' set course for dry land an' boatloads o' scoff, wot!' " -Scarum the Hare, from Triss.
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: It's a line from one of my poems; I made it for the cover of a book of my writings that I gave to my brother last year.

--

I've been thinking a lot about humility lately. It's not really a virtue that is talked too much about. Most people seem to worry more about the virtues of love, peace, joy, patience. These are all very right and good virtues to cultivate, what about humility? In a very good spiritual book I'm reading, Divine Intimacy, it states:

"Humility is the firm bedrock upon which every Christian should build the edifice of his spiritual life."

This is so true! If we are not humble, we cannot enter into a full union with God. For if we have even the tiniest bit of pride, the tiniest bit of self-love, it hinders us from full intimacy with Him. And if we are not in complete union with God, we can't live our life as well as we should.

"God resisteth the proud, but to the humble He giveth grace" -(1 Peter 5: 5)

We need to realize that we can do nothing, absolutely NOTHING, without God. Every breath we take is a gift from God. The slightest move of our finger is a gift from God. Without Him, we truly would be what we were made from: dust. Nothing.
To receive graces, we must lower ourselves and humbly ask God for graces. For did He not say that whoever asks shall receive? (Matthew, ch. 7) Therefore, He will give us what He need. We must accept His graces and let them work in us. We must be humble.

"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." -(Luke 14: 8-11)

An almost exact replica of this story is found in Proverbs:

"Claim no honor in the king's presence, nor occupy the place of great men; For it is better that you be told, 'Come up closer!' than that you be humbled before the prince." (vs. 6-7)

This is not to say that we must humble ourselves with the hope that we will be exalted by doing so. By no means! In fact, that is worse than not being humble at all, because not only is it prideful, it is also false. We must humble ourselves expecting no reward, with the knowledge that we are not worthy receivers of God's gifts. Yet He loves us so much, and for that we must also be humble. If we are then humble, we can return His love.

We should be humble also in our falls. Jesus fell three times under the Cross. But He got right back up and continued on. So also, we should humbly recognize our faults, ask God's forgiveness, and continue on. There is no need to wallow in despair. The steps are simple: to acknowledge our sins, ask forgiveness, and move on; because God not only forgives, He forgets.

"When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me...Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks" (Hosea 11: 1-4)

Yet, this is a tall order. It is hard to think of others as better than ourselves, to be silent when others accuse us (even falsely) and acknowledge our faults, to get up again after falling repeatedly, to not let the least bit of pride and selfishness take control over our lives. We can only do it with God's grace, which He gives to us...if we only ask. But when we do so, we will become so much more intimate with God. We will draw so much closer to Him!

God is always with us, to help us. We need to remember that.

"Fear not, beloved, you are safe; take courage and be strong." -(Daniel 10: 19)

Pax,
Limwen

The Roll Dance!

2010-03-14T20:35:00.005-04:00

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Currently reading: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Most recently watched movie: The Count of Monte Cristo
Current favorite quote: "Mortimer, be quick, be clear, or I swear I'll disinherit you." -Elinor, in the movie Inkheart
Picture of the day:

---

Charlie Chaplin and Johnny Depp (two of my favorite actors) doing the roll dance, which originated with Charlie Chaplin.

Enjoy.

I suggest watching also the "Johnny Depp vs. Robert Downey Jr. - Charlie Chaplin Roll Dance" video. I would have posted that (I also love Rober Downey Jr.), but the embed code was disabled.

Anyway, hope you liked it. :)

Pax!
-Limwen

Lost and Found

2010-03-11T15:58:00.005-05:00

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Currently reading: Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
Most recently watched movie: Into Great Silence
Current favorite quote: "I met a man once who told me that when he was engaged to his wife, he sneaked over to her house one night while she slept. Her parents let him in. He went to her room, and quietly slipped eighty helium balloons through the door, one by one. Each had a note attached, describing the different reasons why he loved her.
That is an act of love." -Mary Beth Bonacci, in her book Real Love
Picture of the day:

---

Have you ever seen the movie Raising Arizona? It's about a ready-to-turn-the-leaf ex-con and a police officer who get married. (He's the con, she's the officer.) They find out a little while into their marriage that they can't have kids: she is unable to physically bear children, and all the adoption agencies turn them down because of the guy's crime history. Depressed and desperate, they hear about a couple named Arizona on the news who just had quintuplets. Justifying themselves with the reasoning, "they have more'n they ken handle" (they talk with slightly Southern accents), they sneak into the Arizonas' house and kidnap one of the babies. Of course, they promptly begin introducing "Junior" as their own child. In the end, they realize that what they did was wrong, and they return Junior to his proper family.
It's a cute and funny movie; very enjoyable. But why do I bring this up?
Lately, I've been feeling slightly like the main characters in Raising Arizona. It all started on my Mom's birthday, which was Sunday (the 7th). Driving home from brunch, we found a little Shih Tzu dog running loose on the road; so we picked it up. It was extremely cute, obviously a puppy, and just as obviously well cared for. So we only just discovered the owner today, and we returned the puppy today. (Her name is Harley, but we affectionately called her "the Cuteness".) I felt like Arizona because we knew the puppy was loved and owned by somebody, and here she was living in our house! But at last, all is put to rights. She was adorable. She was so playful and furry and clingy. She loved to follow people around the house, and she loved to annoy our two old dogs just as much.
Funny thing, though. My dad, who is usually anti-pet, anti-cutesy, complaining constantly about our number of pets...he, of all people, wanted to keep her! He said he secretly hoped we didn't find the owner so we could keep her.
Talk about the sky falling.

I was wondering if you guys could help me out with something? All I need are some author suggestions. I've been lucky with finding good authors lately, but I'd love to know of some more! So if you could just post a comment listing your favorite authors, that would be lovely.

Pax!
-Limwen

Among other things, a quiz

2010-03-06T14:34:00.010-05:00

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Currently reading: One of Ours by Willa Cather
Most recently watched movie: Into Great Silence
Current favorite quote: "Any idiot can face a crisis -- it's this day-to-day living that wears you out." -Anton Chekhov
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I know I just recently posted a picture of Aragorn, but this is one of my favorite pictures of him, and it's also in honor of his birthday...which was March 1st.

--

I saw this quiz on Heather's blog, and thought I'd like to do it myself. Btw, please pray for Heather...she's getting married today! (Actually, by this time, she IS married; I think the ceremony was earlier today.)

Top 3 authors:

1. J.R.R. Tolkien

2. Jane Austen

3. Cornelia Funke

Top 3 male characters: (gosh, this is hard!)

1. Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings

2. Dustfinger from the Inkheart trilogy

3. Faramir from The Lord of the Rings

Top 3 female characters:

1. Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings

2. Jo from Little Women

3. Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice

Top 30 fiction books in no particular order:

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

4. Black by Ted Dekker

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

6. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

8. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

9. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

10. Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

11. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

12. Eragon by Christopher Paolini

13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

14. The Cloister and the Hearth by Charles Reade

15. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

16. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas

17. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

18. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

19. Redwall by Brian Jacques

20. Mariel of Redwall by Brian Jacques

21. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

22. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

23. Beauty by Robin McKinley

24. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

25. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

26. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

27. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

28. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

29. Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather

30. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Top 3 books most recently read:

1. Beauty by Robin McKinley

2. Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

3. Red by Ted Dekker

Worst 3 books ever read:

1. Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam

2. Ever by Gail Carson Levine

3. St. Vincent de Paul (I don't remember the author...but whew, talk about dry!)

Top 5 scenes from any book:

1. Eowyn and Faramir's love scene, The Lord of the Rings

2. The attack of the robbers at the inn where Gerard and Denys were staying, The Cloister and the Hearth

3. Beauty's frustration at her fairy maids, Beauty

4. The end/martyr scene, The Robe

5. Rose trips on her "fashionable" outfit and falls into a chair, Eight Cousins

The book(s) that made me cry the most:

1. The Lord of the Rings -J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Cloister and the Hearth -Charles Reade

3. Railway Children -I don't remember the author

4. A Tale of Two Cities -Charles Dickens

5. Lucy Gayheart -Willa Cather

The book(s) that made me laugh the most:

1. The Lord of the Rings -J.R.R. Tolkien (can you tell it's my top favorite book EVER??)

2. The Cloister and the Hearth -Charles Reade (this one, too)

3. Little Women -L.M. Alcott (Jo is just too hysterical!)

4. The Princess Bride -William Goldman (the whole book is just one big comedy routine)

5. Master and Commander -Patrick O'Brian (any of the scenes with Jack Aubrey and Dr. Maturin are just too funny)

The book(s) that made me feel the best at the end:

1. The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien (in a very sad way, of course...)

2. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas

3. Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

5. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (#6 in the Anne of Green Gables series)

Contemporary or Historical?

Contemporary

Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror?

Fantasy!

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?

Hardback, especially old ones that have a certain delightful, old bookish smell...but I also love the paperbacks that have the soft feel to their covers, smooth but not slick or plastic-y

Barnes & Noble or Amazon?

Amazon -- you can find so many awesome things on there!

Bookmark or Dog-ear?

Bookmark. I have a nice little set of LOTR bookmarks that some friends of mine made for me...my reading companions. :)

Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or organize not at all?

No organization! If it's in my own home, that is. That's the best way. Part of the fun of looking for a book to read from your bookshelf is just the LOOKING.

Star Wars or Star Trek?
Book-wise? I'd have to say Star Wars because I've never read any Star Trek...but movie/tv show-wise, well, I'd probably have to say Star Trek. Unless we're talking about the old Star Wars movies.

Keep, Throw Away, or Sell?
Keep, unless it's a book I really don't like; then I give it away to Goodwill

Keep dust-jacket or toss it?

It depends on the cover of the book. If the cover of the actual book looks cooler than the dust-jacket, then I usually toss it. Otherwise, I keep the dust-jacket.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?

Usually remove it.

Little Women or Anne of Green Gables?

Hmm, that's tricky...I'd probably have to say Little Women.

Short story or novel?

Novel. I do love short stories, though...

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

When tired.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

Haha, that made me smile. :) Usually "once upon a time".

Tear Jerker or Belly Laugh?

Both! Either one shows the sign of a good author, but both even more so.

Charlotte, Emily, or Anne Brontë?

Charlotte.

Buy or Borrow?

Both! Unless it's a book I really like. Then I buy it.

Buying choice: Book Reviews, Recommendation, or Browse?

Recommendation or browse. I don't think I've ever really bought a book on a book review...

Collection (short stories by the same author) or Anthology (short stories by different authors)?

Either one! I'd be most happy with both. :)

Crane or Conrad?

I don't know. I haven't read either.

Standalone or Series?

Both!

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?

Cliffhanger only if it's a series!

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?

Anytime of the day!

Favorite genre series?

Lord of the Rings! (I take it this means your favorite series from your favorite genre). --I just totally used Heather's answer, but that makes sense...

New or used?

If "used" means old, then by all means an old book. But if "used" means secondhand, then usually new.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

A Garland for Girls by Louisa May Alcott.

--

And that's the end! Hope you enjoyed it!

Pax,
Limwen

"I have come back to you now, at the turn of the tide"

2010-02-24T17:18:00.007-05:00

Rather literally, in fact. I shall explain in a moment. ;)
-----
Currently reading: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Most recently watched movie: Inkheart
Current favorite quote: "I knew he was there, standing uncertainly before my door, several minutes before he said, tentatively: 'Beauty? Is something wrong?' I was usually changed and downstairs again in less than half the time I had spent sitting on the floor tonight.
'They're forcing me to wear a dress I don't like,' I said sulkily, from the floor. 'I mean, it won't come off.'
'Forcing you? Why?'
'I haven't the faintest idea!' I shouted, and pulled off a few bracelets and hurled them at the fireplace. They half-turned and threw themselves back at me, and over my wrists.
'That's very odd,' he said through the door. After a pause, he added, 'What's wrong with it?'
'I don't like it,' I said sullenly.
'Er -- may I see?'
'Of course not!' I shouted again. 'If I didn't mind your seeing it, why am I staying in my room? Who else is there to see me?'
'You care how I see you?' he said; his voice was muffled by the door, and I could be sure of only the astonishment....There was a pause and then a roar that made me cower down where I sat and clap my hands over my ears...I found myself hauled to my feet and tumbled in several directions at once; and when I emerged again, breathless, the fairy dress was gone....I was wearing a dress of an indeterminate colour...I laughed, and went over to open the door.
...the Beast looked at me gravely. 'I fear they are angry with you,' he said.
'Yes, I think you're right,' I said cheerfully....
'Shall we go down then?' he said." --From Beauty by Robin McKinley (rather long, I know, but I just love that part.)
Picture of the day:
Picture explanation: I <3 Dustfinger.

So what's the "turn of the tide" I'm talking about? Well, remember in my last post (and by the by, I am most dreadfully sorry that was so long ago; I have been oober busy), how I said that my NaNoWriMo story was lost? Now it is lost no more!! :D I found it!!! I was so slap-happy when I had it under my eyes again and was reading eagerly, I was practically hyperventilating. ;D To avoid further such distressing instances, I took the precaution of e-mailing it to myself so I can access it anytime I want. Talk about sweet relief!

For this blog post, I think I'd like to post some random thoughts I've jotted down recently in various notebooks...just a few, but I think you'll like them.

[1.] "On Music"
Music brings out in us the parts of ourselves we didn't even know existed...the hidden actor who lies deep in our souls. Not only does music bring out our romantic interior -- our passions and dreams which are interpreted in the music -- but also our dignity, our playfulness, our humor, our royalness, our pomposity. There is a bit of the jester and the king in all of us, in some more than others; but music through its mystery reveals the mystery of our being.

[2.] "On Purity"
Purity is like a glass made of the finest crystal: if shattered, it can never be made quite whole; if dirty or sullied, it takes a little work to make it clean again; but if kept well-polished carefully, it will sparkle radiantly for all to see, and light will dance through it. And those who partake of its drink -- its fruit -- will be warmed down to their very hearts.

[3.] "On Love"
The realization that God loves us tenderly -- passionately -- crazily enough to let Himself be tortured and humiliated for us, should be enough to stop us when we are about to succumb to temptation. Do we not know that every time we sin, we figuratively enter the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) and join the angry mob in spitting in Jesus' face? The realization that Jesus loves us so intensely -- almost jealously -- should be enough to spur us on to stepping beside Him, kissing His lovely face covered with blood and spit and tears, and picking up His Cross ourselves. When we do so, that all-consuming Love, that desiring Love, elevates our being so that, indeed, His burden seems light. For what we think is His burden is really ours; our burden He has been bearing all along, and His burden, as with every other thing, He gently lays on our back.

--

Pax,
Limwen

Thoughts Both Glad and Gloomy

2010-01-17T13:25:00.007-05:00

-----
Currently reading: The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Most recently watched movie: The Scarlet and the Black
Current favorite quote: "...and...to Sam's final and complete satisfaction and pure joy, a minstrel of Gondor stood forth...And behold! he said: '...I will sing to you of Frodo of the Nine Fingers and the Ring of Doom.' And when Sam heard that he laughed aloud for sheer delight, and he stood up and cried : 'O great glory and splendour! And all my wishes have come true!' And then he wept." -(The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
Picture of the day:

Just so you know, I'm going to be starting all my posts like this from now on (at least I think...my opinions and decisions about things often times change abruptly). :)

So I apologize very humbly for not posting in a while...but our computer's been down, I've been busy (as usual), our computer's STILL down and I'm writing this from our "temporary" computer (please, please God let it be a temporary computer, I need our old one back!!!), and it feels so weird using a totally unknown computer and I'm a little lost, in a cyber world manner of speaking. The main reason I want our old computer back and working properly is so I can get my unfinished NaNoWriMo novel off. I have absolutely no access to it, and I'm extremely worried about losing it forever. :/ Oh dear oh dear...
Call me the pessimist.
But I feel like I've lost my baby. I have lost my baby, my baby story, only beginning to suck the thumb of completion...

*sigh*

On a brighter note, I'm almost finished with The Return of the King! Wait, no, NOT a brighter note...it's sad, it's very sad that I'm already near the end and I'll have to say good bye to Frodo and company again...and stand with Sam at the edge of the Grey Havens and watch the ship dwindle into the West with the cries of the gulls...why do all good things have to come to an end?

Drat.

Really, though, I've been really enjoying reading The Lord of the Rings again; I've missed it so much! And this was the first time I've really seriously sat down and read it the whole way through, by myself, every single word...usually I just do a quick-read or read my favorite parts. ;) My mom and I used to read that book together a lot. That was actually how I first read it, she reading aloud and me leaning on her shoulder, listening (and reading along sometimes). It's one of my favorite childhood memories, and we still love reading together now.

Speaking of LOTR, I just watched the regular version of The Fellowship in I don't know how long! I've seen the extended version so many times, and haven't seen the regular since I first watched it. It was fun. And it's quite different from the extended...it actually has a few parts that aren't in the extended. But it also goes by MUCH faster, too fast, and cuts out so many good parts that are included in the extended.
So yeah, I'm on a MAJOR Lord of the Rings kick right now, like, even more than usual. :D

By the way, have you all heard that Senator Brown (he is a senator, right?), a Republican, won Senator Kennedy's former seat in Massachusets?? This is great news; it means Obama's health care plan might not win after all! Praise the Lord!!

Pax,
Limwen

"In the beginning was the Word..."

2009-12-26T22:17:00.005-05:00

"...and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Merry Christmas!!

I found the above picture through Google search, but here's a funny story: originally I typed in "christmas images", and everything but one picture on the first page of results was of Christmas trees and cartoonish penguins and snowmen. How typical, eh?
However, both my mom and I have noticed that this year, many more people in stores and stuff were saying "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays". It was a VERY pleasant switch, believe me. But you probably know yourself from past experience, right?
So did y'all have a good Christmas? Mine was (and is still) terrific! ALL my family was (and again, still is) here, which was a total switch. Usually one or another of my brothers can't make it a certain day, or arrive after another one leaves or something. But this year, my oldest brother arrived early Christmas Eve morning, and two other brothers arrived Christmas Day, in the morning. (Although the times were much different...one came at 3 a.m. and the other came at 11 a.m.) It's been loads of fun. :D And it's really weird having eight people at the table again! I got some really awesome Christmas presents, my favorites being the set of the Anne of Green Gables movies (and the complete set of the books), two $25 Borders gift cards (you can't even imagine how excited I am to splurge with those!!), a piano music book (Ennio Morricone), and 35 pairs of earrings. Yup, 35. ;D I actually just got my ears pierced, so this is really exciting. There are some really cute pairs too, and some really pretty ones. I can't wait to being wearing them all. =D

Anyways, hope you all enjoy the rest of the Christmas season! It lasts awhile, you know. Oh and by the way...our Christmas tree is 13 feet tall. Seriously. It's totally wicked. I mean, we have an Ent in our living room! It's great! :D

May Baby Jesus caress you with His tiny hands, bless you with His newborn smile, and hold you in His open heart.

-Limwen

Roller Coaster Life

2009-12-16T12:35:00.006-05:00

First order of things...
One of my guinea pigs died Sunday. :( I was devastated. I had been sleeping over at my friends' house Saturday, and came back Sunday after church all happy and cheerful, only to be met with the news that Toasty (that was his name) had died. I won't go into details, but let's just say I was pretty miserable. I've gotten over it pretty much...of course I'm still upset, but it's not like I'm bursting into tears every five seconds. I've realized, from past experiences, that well...life goes on. Death is inevitable and there's nothing you can do about it except pick up your cross and go on.
Anyways, here are some pictures of Toasty (and family):

This is Toasty when he was newly born...that's his mama Buttercup and one of his siblings next to him (Toasty is the darker baby with the white stripe)

Toasty with his dad Skipper (Skipper is the orange one)

Toasty with his...shall we say...wife, Kawaii ("Kawaii" means cute in Japanese)

Kawaii with her and Toasty's babies

Aren't they cute? I'm so proud of my guinea pigs. :) I used to have eight altogether, but I gave away one (one of Toasty's babies) and now Toasty died...the weird thing is, he wasn't the oldest guinea pig. I still have his parents, Skipper and Buttercup.
So yeah...prayers would be welcome. :) I become very much attached to my babies, so it's hard for me to say good bye.

On another note...
I'm entering a poem into a poetry contest! The first prise is $500, and there are three honorable mention prizes, each at $100. So yeah, it would be pretty amazing if I won. :D

Also...
"Born of Hope" is OUT!!!!!! :D :D :D I'm SOOOO excited!! I started watching it yesterday, but got interrupted before I got even ten minutes into it. Oh well, I WILL be watching it fully through soon. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, "Born of Hope" is an independently-made Lord of the Rings fan film. It looks very well done. It's about Aragorn's father and mother, Arathorn and Gilraen, and also about many other Dunedain. Anyways, WATCH IT. If you have time. You can watch it at the website: www.bornofhope.com

I will be replying to all your previous comments shortly, I just never seem to remember or have time to do so. God bless you all!

Blessings!

-Limwen

"What a strange person."

2009-12-07T17:20:00.008-05:00

(Quote from 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail')

I need inspiration. Ever since NaNoWriMo stopped, I've been in a mire of laziness, when it comes to writing. Maybe it's more of just taking a break. Anyways, all I've been doing lately besides the everyday chores and duties is practicing pool. I'm getting to be quite the pool shark. :D We have this new pool table, you see, and I'm determined to get good at it.
What else has been happening lately? Well, my family and a bunch of my friends put together a surprise birthday party for me yesterday. It was so sweet! I've always wanted a surprise birthday party, but that's not exactly something you can ask for, you know? Anyway, it was really nice. And I WAS surprised. Apparently, my dad had been dropping rather obvious hints here and there during the week before, but somehow I missed them all. :D

Speaking of my birthday, guess what's coming Wednesday, that my parents got for me? And iPod!! :D :D :D :D :D I'm so excited!! It's not one of those fancy touch-screens, but it's pretty darn sweet. It has a camera/video camera built in. I can't wait for Wednesday!! ;D

Someone else's birthday is in December...December 16th, to be exact. And that would be one of my favorite actresses, Miranda Otto. :)

Woot, yeah, pretty ladyy. <3

Btw, has anybody ever heard of or read any of Robin McKinley? I just heard about her...she sounds like a pretty awesome fantasy writer...but I was wondering if anybody had read any of her stuff, and if they liked her writing.

Pax,
Limwen

To Write or not to Write

2009-12-01T14:06:00.004-05:00

Well, I never got to 50,000 words with my NaNoWriMo book. I tried, really I did. But near the end, it just got too insane. I couldn't write anymore...for a number of reasons (I'll explain later). However, if I come up with another great story idea between now and next November, I may just try again. ;) Anyways, I'm quite glad I participated, because it helped me ALOT. I laid down a really good groundwork for my NaNo book during that time, and I wrote some really cool stuff. All in all, it was extremely helpful. Also, one of the emails from Chris Baty was extremely encouraging for me:

"Group Three: The Go On Without Me's. For you, November turned out to be a very bad month to try and write a novel. Life went completely crazycakes, and you faced a never-ending series of demanding work or school projects, health emergencies, social obligations, and/or tech meltdowns. You managed to get a few good ideas down on paper, but never quite found your novel's rhythm. You're thinking of bowing out, and planning on giving it a try next year."

Yeah, that was me. But then he wrote something really nice later on for 'Group Three':

"For the Go On Without Me's: This is going to sound really weird, but you're in the best shape of all three groups. You're off the map, but that's the point of this escapade. NaNoWriMo is to there to put you in such an impossible situation that you can stop worrying about perfection and achievement and just savor the thrill that comes with making and doing. Think of the remaining days in NaNoWriMo as an anything-goes creative retreat. You sacrificed your novel to the world around you this month, and the world around you appreciated it. But you now get some time for you. You may not write 50,000 words, but you still have plenty of time to create something smaller and equally wonderful. Return to the page—there's still a beautiful adventure waiting for you."

I found that really nice and encouraging, so yay to Chris Baty for being a super cool dude. :D

So what exactly did happen that stopped my novel from getting written? It was mostly parties, really. See, now that we have this huge new house, we want to share it with other people. So it started on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Of course that was all Thanksgiving preparation. Then Thanksgiving happened, and that was more preaparation and (of course) eating. Then Friday, my brother hosted a party for his soccer teammates. Saturday, we were invited to a birthday party. Sunday, we hosted ANOTHER party, for our homeschool teen group. Sunday was the second to last day of November, and by that time I was so washed out I couldn't even try to write Monday (the last day of November). And of course I had little or no time to write during that party-prep stretch. So yeah. Now I'm just glad it's all over.
I'm pretty proud of myself, though. I managed to write over 30,000 words. That's an accomplishment. I don't have the awesome-looking NaNo award to proudly post on my blog, but at least I can say I participated. Congrats to all you NaNo winners; you guys rock. (Yep, that means you Hannah. ;D)

Oh yeah, and tomorrow's my birthday. Whew, I can't believe I'll be 16. o_0

God bless!

-Limwen

"In all things give thanks"

2009-11-26T10:45:00.004-05:00

'Nuff said.

-Limwen

Do you ever get the feeling that you're being watched?

2009-11-19T21:58:00.002-05:00

So...I was sitting here, trying to think of something to post...and this kind of came up.

Today my parents and I went to church. The Gospel that was read was the one where Jesus, upon seeing Jerusalem, wept. I love that passage. It's one of my favorites, because it shows us the human side and the tender side of God.
I was thinking about how much Jesus is weeping today.
Abortion...
Murder...
War...
Rape...
Contraception...
Divorce...
Abuse...
Homosexuality...

It seems like America has gone down the tubes, doesn't it? You hear so many horrible tragedies on the news...just horrible. And you hear how so many people still honor and fawn over Obama as if he were a god, even though he hasn't done any of the 'change' he promised would happen, he's the biggest pro-abortion president we've ever had, he's obviously totally against America and all we stand for...I mean, what the heck kind of a president IS that??
And yet, there is hope. You don't hear much of anything that gives you cause for hope (the media takes care of that), but there are still good people in this world, and they are fighting for justice. And God is watching over all...perhaps weeping sometimes...but always watching. Always bestowing mercy. Always giving the sinner a chance to repent. Always bestowing more graces on those who fight for Him.

And in the end, GOD WILL TRIUMPH.

Pax.

-Limwen

Dude...50,000 words is ALOT.

2009-11-12T23:32:00.003-05:00

Well, this has to be short because it's 11:30 at night and I have to get up REAL early tomorrow. It's not my fault I stayed up this late...I was writing. :P I was working on my NaNoWriMo novel. Honestly, I don't know why I joined NaNo this year. It's awesome fun, but I'm doing pretty bad. :D (Don't laugh at my word count, you NaNo veterans!) It's been so crazily busy around here, I haven't had the time. We just moved in to our new house (yay!), our computer wasn't working, I took a road trip to Tennessee with my mom, and then of course there's school and piano. I think I'll have to catch up on a lot of writing on the weekend.
"So what IS your word count, anyway?" you ask. *sigh* Well, it's a meager 2372 words. Can I make 50 grand by the end of this month?

No way. XD

I'm such a pessimist.

-Limwen

PS. On the bright side, I got an email with one of the many "pep talks" from NaNoWriMo...and guess who wrote the pep talk? Gail Carson Levine!! She wrote some really awesome advice, I'll have to post it sometime.

Funny Videos :D

2009-10-23T21:14:00.003-04:00

Hey all,
These made me laugh...really hard. :) Enjoy.

-Limwen

>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA --(this one didn't have an EMBED code, so I just had to put the URL here)

Writing and Fantasy

2009-10-15T15:51:00.006-04:00

I hope to be published someday. (Don't we all?) I've been reading lots of different kinds of fantasy lately...Cornelia Funke...Brian Jacques...Christopher Paolini...Gail Carson Levine....
Sometimes I wonder if I'm really good enough to be published. I'm so impatient, but I know I still have a long time to get better. Currently, I'm working on two books, and have plans to start two more soon. One will be started in November for NaNoWriMo. :) Wouldn't it be the most beautiful feeling to go to a store and see YOUR BOOK with YOUR NAME on it, there on the shelf?
I know that lots of people --probably most everybody-- wants to be famous...and for that reason some people may laugh at my dream. But I don't want to be famous because I'm a model, or I'm a movie star, or I'm some big sports player, or I'm related to the President (and thank God I'm not!). I want to give something to people. I want to accomplish something in my life. I want the faces of young people to brighten when they hear my name, because a book they dearly love comes to mind...MY book. I want them to have copies of my books in their house, well-worn and falling apart because they have been loved so much. I want them to get so caught up in my story and my characters that to them it's something real...just like it is for me.

Do you ever feel this way?

I'll never be a Tolkien or a Lewis or an Austen...
but who ever wants to be like somebody else? I pray that God will someday allow me, in a unique way, to give the gift of my writing to the world.

After all, He didn't give me that gift of writing for nothing.

Nor the love of fantasy.....

-Limwen

My Peter Pan Personality

2009-10-09T14:10:00.005-04:00

I'd like to get organized.
Really, I would.
Like have a specific post for everyday of the week, a specific theme for every week, etc. I'd like to get my room cleaned and pack up every single little thing that's in my room right now so it'll be all ready for when we actually move. I'd like to have the willpower to put down my Redwall book, and actually get my schoolwork done today instead of putting it off for the weekend. But who can resist a good book, a comfy couch, and a warm blanket on a cold, rainy day?
Ah well, someday I'll be organized. Someday I'll be mature. Someday I'll put down my fairy dust dreams and set aside those ethereal tales of fantasy I delight in, and face reality.

Grow up, in a word. (Or two.)

Lord, don't let that day come too soon!

Here's a glimpse of some beautiful fantasy, and proof that I spend way too much time enjoying myself. ;)

I put it together myself...it was lots of fun. Notice that there are pictures from all three Narnia movies? The ones of Lucy in a sailor's (PC's) outfit are from the filming of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. You see, I'm still getting some juicy updates from narniaweb.com. ;) (See a post from a few weeks ago with pictures of the Dawn Treader itself.)

Blessings!

-Limwen

People can say SUCH funny things

2009-10-02T22:12:00.006-04:00

So I had no idea what to post, but then the idea came to me to post some of my favorite and random quotes...some are funny and some are thought-inspiring....
Leave your favorite quote in a comment!!! :D

"Quick's the word and sharp's the action, wot, wot?" -Basil Stag Hare

"Never insult the author; she might put you in a book and kill you." -Anonymous

"Can you penetrate the designs of God? Dare you vie with the perfection of the Almighty? It is higher than the heavens; what can you do? It is longer than the earth in measure, and broader than the sea." -unknown

"I have a mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it." -Groucho Marx

"Humor is reason gone mad." -Groucho Marx

"Death but not sin." -St. Dominic Savio

"No wonder You have so few friends, since you treat the ones You have so badly!" -St. Teresa of Avila (upon getting her donkey cart stuck in the mud and unable to get it out no matter how hard she tried)

"Love God, serve God; everything is in that." -St. Clare of Assisi

"I don't sing in the shower; I rap." -Travis "Pronk" Hafner (player on the Indians baseball team in Ohio)

"I like nonsense - it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope... and that enables you to laugh at all of life's realities." -Dr. Suess

"Weddings? I love weddings! Drinks all around!" -Captain Jack Sparrow

"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." - Merry Brandybuck

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." -J.R.R. Tolkien

"Ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? Morons." -Vizzini

Cheers!

-Limwen

Tonari no Ponyo!

2009-09-15T17:28:00.005-04:00

Just got back from watching Japanese director Hayao Myazaki's latest film Ponyo. I grew up watching Myazaki's Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro), so ever since then, I've had a love for his movies. Ponyo is really magical. It's based on the tale of the Little Mermaid, with a spectacular Japanese twist. I liked it alot, and I think it will be much better when it comes out on DVD, and I can watch it without it being dubbed in English (always hate that).

(You can read the synopsis of Ponyo by copying and pasting this link into your toolbar, as well as find links to more of Myazaki's movies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponyo)

I decided to also post some recent pictures of myself...most of them aren't too good, because I took those with my dad's phone, but hope you like them anyway. :) I "tweaked" most of 'em too... :D

Blessings!
-Limwen

Mumbo-Jumbo.

2009-08-28T21:34:00.007-04:00

Wow.

So many things have happened to me recently...so many emotions are floating around in my head. It's kinda unbelievable.

Actually, not that much happened...if you look at it a certain way. Only two things.

1. I read Books #2 and #3, Eldest and Brisingr, respectively, out of the Inheritance Cycle. By Christopher Paolini, of course. Doesn't sound like much, does it? Well, you see, I get so emotionally involved with characters in books, that I've been rather emotionally drained these past couple days. There are so many twists and turns in the plot of Eldest and Brisingr, so many crazy things happen to my beloved friends (the characters), so many secrets get revealed...ugh. I'm exhausted. But they're excellent books, all three in the Cycle. I found them extremely intriguing, and I couldn't put them down. I got Eldest out of the library a few days ago, read it in one day, and returned it to the library promptly...borrowing Brisingr while I was at it. And I just now finished that. I can't wait for Mr. Paolini to write the fourth book!!!! I WISH HE'D HURRY!!!!!! Well anyways, yeah...to me...well....that's alot. :)

2. We're moving. We've been looking at this one house about ten minutes away from us for about two years now, and just today we bought it. Talk about exciting, eh? :D It's a sweet house, big and roomy, with 8 acres of gorgeous farmland!!!! I'm so esctatic!!!! This will be awesome!! :D :D :D We're hoping to be moved in by November or December. It's pretty crazy. We've been living in our old house for about 30 years now...and we just now decide to move! :P Well, that's our family for ya. Anyways, pray for us...we'll need it! :)

Oh, and I just thought of a third thing that happened.

3. I watched the 1940 and the 1995 BBC versions of Pride and Prejudice (not all in one day of course...the BBC takes at least two days to watch anyways!). I believe there's just one version I haven't watched yet...another TV version (also by BBC)...doesn't look to interesting, though. Anyways, they were great. I have to say that out of all three P&P film dramatizations (1940, 1995, and 2005) I think the 2005 is my favorite. Perhaps because that Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFayden) is my favorite. <3>

So yeah, that's me and my life right now!

Blessings!

-Limwen

Voyage of the Dawn Treader...in pictures.

2009-08-20T12:54:00.006-04:00

Check.

This.

Out.

I've been getting emails from NarniaWeb.com because I signed up for their mailing list, and recently they sent out pictures of the Dawn Treader!!
This is just about the coolest thing I have ever seen:

Isn't that just amazing?? The detail and everything is just spectacular. I can't wait for VDT to come out!!!!

Cheers!

-Limwen

The Big Apple and a house sold

2009-08-17T11:47:00.007-04:00

I just got back last night from New York.
It turned out that only my brother and I went on vacation to New York. Why? Well...it's a long story. :D

Here goes.

The Friday before last, my dad had a really severe bloody nose that wouldn't stop. He ended up having to go to the emergency room and get a huge bandage stuck up his nose to stop the bleeding. The doctors figured that an artery had burst and would need medical attention from an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Turns out also that my dad has really high blood pressure.
Obviously, Dad couldn't go on vacation, because we were leaving that Sunday. So my mom had to decide whether or not she should go. She decided she should stay with Dad. The question then arose...would my brother and I go to New York by ourselves? It wouldn't be that big of a deal, because we were going to a family camp with a bunch of families we knew...it wouldn't be like traveling around New York totally by ourselves, you know? My brother and I wanted to go...so we did! My other brother dropped us off on the way to a wedding in New Jersey, and he picked us up a week later, when the camp was over. And here we are! So yeah, it was craaaaaazy. Thank God, Dad is doing much much better. He got the packing off his nose and the vein cauterized, and he is now on blood pressure medicine. Please pray for us though, for his continued health!! My brother and I had a blast in New York, even though it was weird that just the two of us went. We were our own little family. :D It was a ton of fun. We played a bunch of games with all those other families, and there was Putt-Putt, and a swimming pool, and a slip 'n slide, and a creek, and carpet ball (a game where you try to knock other people's balls down with the white ball, it's fun) and we played baseball and ping-pong and it was just fun. :D Sorry, that was rather a run-on sentence. :D And I apologize also for not having any pictures...but we didn't have a camera. Sorry. I wish I had some that I could post...

We found out the day before we came home, when I called Mom, that my Grandma's house was sold! WHOOOOOOO HOOOOO!!! We've been trying to sell that house for awhile, and we've had it on our hands, worrying us, since last September-- when Grandma died. Of course, it's sad to see it go, but the overall feeling (especially for Mom) is relief. :D It's possible now that we ourselves will be moving to another house...update on that later. :)

I posted the prologue of my second book on apricotpie.com. Check it out here: http://apricotpie.com/clare-marie/eleta-prologue

I re-read "The Princess Bride" and "Buttercup's Baby" a week or so ago. I think it has inspired me somewhat. Oh yeah, and I fell in love with Westley all over again. :D And I want to get a Princess Bride t-shirt, like "Westley Never Dies" or something. You know, I forgot just how downright hysterical that book is...
Now I need to go watch the movie. :D

I think that's about all I have to post about!! Update again soon, and keep us in your prayers!!

-Limwen

I can't believe summer is almost over.

2009-08-06T16:46:00.005-04:00

Hasn't it just begun??

I guess I've been so busy that time has just flown by. I went on retreat this week with my mom and one of my best friends and her mom. It was just the four of us in a cozy lodge down in Amish country. It was so beautiful. I really needed a getaway to renew my spiritual life. We spent about three days there, from Monday (late afternoon) to Wednesday (afternoon). The scenery is just amazing, and I went bonkers over the horses and cows and sheep and goats and llamas!! Especially the horses. ;) Amish people are cool. My friend and I would wave at every buggy we passed in the car. They're such an inspiration to me, their life style and all that. Besides, their food is pretty dang good. :D

I'm also trying to finish up the newsletter for our homeschool teen group (I'm the secretary), drop some stuff for the county fair off at a friend's house, and get packed before we leave for New York--Sunday. Saturday, I have a dance performance in a city a few hours away, and I've been mentally preparing myself for that too. It's just been crazy around here! I'm glad I have some time to just sit down and...be a vegetable. Let my mind become mush! :D

Got to run, my mom needs to use the computer.

Blessings!

-Limwen

Romance, dirty carpets, and vanilla ice cream

2009-07-28T20:28:00.003-04:00

Decided to take some time off from energetic work to melt my brain by watching a movie. I felt an irresistable urge to watch one of my favorites, the 2005 "Pride and Prejudice" movie with Keira Knightley. Unfortunately, we don't own it, so I had to watch it on YouTube. I'm actually in the process of watching it right now, and waiting for one of the sections to load.

So I've been ripping up the carpet in my bedroom these past couple days. I've hated that carpet forever, and it's been there for 30 years. Yeah, it's pretty gross. And it's a complicated project, because first you have to rip the carpet, then take out the tacks, then pry up the carpet tack strips along the wall, then sweep, then wash, then rinse, then dry. Plus all the junk in my room has to be moved from one spot to the other as I rip different sections. Sounds fun, hey? :D Actually, it IS kinda fun, and music like Sara Evans, Fireflight, and Enya wile the time away nicely.

Today I rode my bike to Drug Mart to get vanilla ice cream to go with Mom's blueberry crisp, a new hair dryer for Mom, and some pampering stuff for me (like nail polish, make up...). When I was almost there, I realized I forgot my bike lock; but thank God my bike wasn't stolen! I was anxious and worried the whole time I was shopping...took away some of the fun of it. :D Then on the way home, I'm sure I made quite a spectacle: rushing along at a great pace, trying to get home before the ice cream melted, plastic bags swinging crazily from the handlebars and crashing into my knees. I passed a guy on a bike, who was not so absorbed in his iPod that he couldn't grin at me as he passed.
Arriving home, I dumped my bike on the lawn and rushed the ice cream in the house, laying it tenderly in the freezer. I found a note on the front door that said:

Clare,
Went to pick up the car.
Are you making dinner :)?

Love,
Mom

At first, I wasn't so sure I would comply with her request, and wrote her a reply:

Mom,
You owe me $4 for the ice cream and --surprise!--$13 for the dryer.
Must have been on sale and I didn't even know it.
Don't count on dinner.

Love,
Clare

But then I thought better of it and made pasta with sauteed vegetables. Despite the fact that I didn't put enough vegetables in, it was still quite good. If I may say so myself. :D

Off to watch more of P&P!

-Limwen

2009-07-24T13:41:00.004-04:00

I'm sort of having mixed feelings today.

Yesterday I went to my friends' house, and it was a BLAST!! We were thinking about driving a ways to go protest outside of a building where Barack Obama was giving a speech about his health care plan, but we ended up not going. It would have been fun, though, to go join the tea party.

Still feeling the effects of visiting my friends (it's always so refreshing to visit them), but I'm also a little down...I have to go to a 4 hour practice for my dance group today. What a drag. :/ Can you tell I'm not thrilled about being in this group anymore? (I've been in it for about four years--ever since it started.) We have a performance coming up in August (the 8th), and our teacher is going crazy. She's quite the perfectionist, and does all she can to make our group perfect, even though we never can be. It gets rather annoying, you know? But...such is life. I'm glad I can vent on here, right? :)

Here's my favorite picture of Enya. <3!

You won't believe how much Enya's music can calm me down and make me feel better.

Cheers!

-Limwen

If I could, I would live in a bookstore

2009-07-22T10:57:00.008-04:00

Yup, you read that right. ;D
Bookstores are amazing. Especially used books bookstores, like Half-Price Books; because then you find a bunch of old editions of great classics that smell like heaven and feel so soft to your fingers....
As you probably guessed, I just went to Half-Price Books the other day with my mom. We went, really, to find a birthday present for a friend of ours, and my mom made me promise that we wouldn't look for anything for ourselves until we had found a birthday present. Good thing she did, because as soon as our mission was completed, I went hog-wild and carefully scrutinized the fantasy, ficition, and young adult bookshelves. I was as happy as Winnie the Pooh when he finds a honey pot. You won't believe how many hours I could spend in a bookstore, poring over books and deciding just what exactly I want to buy. Soon enough, I was squealing and jumping for joy over some of my finds. What I actually bought was:

-'Anne's House of Dreams' and 'Anne of Ingleside' (or, #5 and #6 in the Anne of Green Gables series)
-An absolutely BEAUTIFUL hardback copy of 'Eragon' (and for only $7! I was delighted =D) and...
-two Enya albums, Watermark and Shepherd Moons. Mom was like "Don't you have enough Enya?!" With the purchase of Watermark and Shepherd Moons, I now have 5 Enya albums. Perhaps I should stop there, eh? =D
Sum total: $22. I was pretty happy with that. ;D

*sigh of rapture* I love bookstores!! I think I'll ask for gift cards to Half-Price Books for my birthday, when it comes. ;)

Speaking of books, I posted Chapter 17 of "And There Were Three" (my book) on apricotpie.com. Copy and paste this address into your Google or Internet Explorer address bar to read it:
http://apricotpie.com/clare-marie/and-there-were-three-chapter-seventeen
Enjoy. ;D

-Limwen

New Blog

2009-07-15T15:53:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am posting on my new blog! It's a little rough right now, but hopefully I'll fix it up soon. What do you think?

-Limwen